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AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



A PRACTICAL WORK ON SQUAB 
CULTURE COVERING EVERY 
PHASE or THE RAISING, HOUS- 
ING AND MARKETING OF SQUABS 



BY 

E. H. EGGLESTON 



SECOND EDITION, REVISED 

BY THE AUTHOR 



PUBLISHED BY 

AMERICAN PIGEON JOURNAL COMPANY 

WARRENTON, MO., IT. S. A. 

1921 






v\ 



Copyriglit, 1916 
By E. H. Eggleston. 

Copyright, 1921 
By Frank H. Hollmann. 



APR -4 1922 
'CU661140 



Publishers' Note 



For many years there has l)eeii a great need, in fact an urgent 
demand, for a standard work on pigeon and squab raising, 
which coukl be used not only as a textbook by the schools and 
colleges but also as a manual and guide for the beginner and 
a reference book for the experienced breeder. This need and 
demand have been fully met by the publication of American 
Squab Culture. 

The first edition was strongly endorsed by the State Agricul- 
tural Colleges of the United States, the Agricultural Department 
of the Canadian Government, American Library Association, 
U. S. Government Library War Service, American Squab 
Breeders Association, National Pigeon Association, American 
Pigeon Journal, Pigeon News, American Pigeon Keeper, National 
Squab Magazine, and the recognized pigeon authorities. Ameri- 
can squab breeders eagerly welcomed the first edition. It also 
became very popular among the l)recders in England, Australia, 
South America, South Africa, China, East Indies, and many 
other countries. 

In this second edition Mr. Eggleston, the author, has entirely 
revised and rewritten the book thus bringing it down to date, 
and making it highly valuable for the great variety of service- 
able information which it holds. Important material on the 
construction of squab houses has been added, also a large num- 
ber of new illustrations. The book now thoroughly covers over 
a hundred different subjects and includes every known branch 
of the squab industry. 

AMERICAN PIGEON JOURNAL COMPANY. 




E. H. EGGI.ESTON 



PREFACE 



The purpose of this book is to furnish complete and ready 
information on all subjects pertaining to the raising of pigeons 
for profit and pleasure. For the benefit of those who desire to 
become familiar with squab breeding, for those who desire 
to go into the squab or pigeon business and for those who are 
in the business in any form or for any purpose. 

The rapid growth of the squab industry in America, coupled 
with the fact that there is considerable to learn about the care 
and breeding of pigeons, has created a demand for a book which 
will furnisli complete and specific information, and intelligent 
explanation of the possibilities of the squab industry. 

While there are many things to be learned on the subject of 
keeping pigeons both for pleasure and profit, much more than 
one would naturally believe, the knowledge is of such a nature 
that it can be readily grasped, provided it is sought for in a 
careful and systematic manner. 

To read this book through as you would a novel, or story book, 
will give only a slight general knowledge of the subject, but if 
a thorough knowledge is desired, the book must be read and 
studied as a school textbook. 

In order to get the most out of the various subjects treated 
herein, the reader should have had some practical experience 
previously or be engaged in pigeon raising at the time the 
book is read. 

In writing on the various topics in this book, I have deemed 
it necessary to explain certain facts and details more than once 
in order to cover closely connected subjects in a general yet 

5 



6 PREFACE 

compact way. Then, for the benefit of those who desire to study 
each specific subject, I have treated them separately under their 
respective heads. By this method, each article is more complete 
and if read separately from other articles, the most necessary 
information on that and kindred subjects will be obtained. 

The reader will find kindred subjects grouped in the Table 
of Contents under sub-heads which will furnish a ready reference 
to all subjects contained herein. 

E. H. EGGLESTON. 
Chicago, Illinois. 

June 1, 1921. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 

Page 

WHY RAISE SQUABS? 13 

The Squab Industry of America 13 

Raising- Squabs for Profit 14 

Squabs Can Be Raised by Almost Anyone 16 

Squabs Can Be Raised Almost Anywhere 18 

When to Start in the Squab Business 19 

The' Increasing- Demand for Squabs 20 

Pigeon Habits and Characteristics 21 

CHAPTER H 

GETTING STARTED RIGHT 25 

The Way to Start 25 

Raising- Squabs for Home Consumption 29 

Raising- Pigeons -with Chickens 30 

Raising- Pigeons for Pleasure 33 

Ornamental Squab House for Side or Front Yard 34 

CHAPTER HI 

CARNEAUX 35 

Orig-in and Development of the Carneau 35 

The Proper Weig-ht for Carneaux 37 

Carneaux with Slate Colored Feathers 39 

Yellow Carneaux 40 

AVhite Carneaux 41 

Black Carneaux 45 

Utility Rather Than Fancy 47 

Solid Colored Carneaux 5Q 



7 



8 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER IV 

Page 

OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 53 

Homers 53 

Giant Runts 55 

Hungarians 60 

Maltese 61 

Swiss Mondaines 64 

Polish Lynx 67 

White Kings 68 

Cross Breeds 71 

CHAPTER V 

FEEDS AND FEEDING 74 

When and How to Feed 74 

What to Feed 77 

Composition of Pigeon Feed 80 

Table of Food Analysis 85 

Grains and Seeds 86 

Feeding Bread to Pigeons 89 

AVhat Pigeon Milk Is 90 

The High Cost of Feed 91 

CHAPTER VI 

GRIT, CHARCOAL, SALT AND WATER 92 

Grit, Sand and Gravel 92 

Charcoal 93 

Oyster Shell ' 94 

Salt 94 

Sulphate of Iron 95 

Drinking Water lor Pigeons 96 

Bathing 98 

CHAPTER VII 

CARE OF PENS, BANDING, NESTING MATERIAL 101 

Care of Squab Plant 101 

Care of Fly Pens 102 

How to Band 102 

^STesting Material ...,..,.....,..,...,...,..,..,..,..,..,..,... lOQ 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 

CHAPTER VIII 

Page 

ENEMIES OF THE SQUAB PLANT 107 

Lice, Mites and Other Vermin 107 

Cats, Rats and Mice 110 

Thieves and Bad Boys Ill 

Sparrows, Hawks and Owls Ill 

CHAPTER IX 

MOULTING AND COLOR BREEDING 113 

Moulting- 113 

Explanation of Feather Coloring 114 

How to Breed Yellow, Dun or Silver Colored Pigeons 116 

Inbreeding 119 

CHAPTER X 

PIGEON DISEASES AND REMEDIES 121 

General Remarks 121 

Roup and Colds 122 

"Going Light" 123 

Sore Eyes 124 

Lumps on Wings 126 

Sore Feet 126 

Mud Balls 127 

Simple Remedies 127 

Feeding "Weak or Sick Pigeons 130 

Feeding Squabs by Hand 130 

Helpful Remedies 132 

CHAPTER XI 

MATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 135 

How Pigeons Mate 135 

How to Tell Male from Female 139 

The Growth of a Squab 141 

Anatomy of the Pigeon 144 

How to Keep an Equal Number of Males and Females 148 

What to Do with Odd Cocks I49 



10 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Best Method to Improve the Quality of a Flock 149 

Selection of Youngsters for Breeding Purposes 150 

CHAPTER XII 

PROPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 154 

Soft Shelled Eggs 154 

Barren Females 154 

When But One Egg Hatches, Or, When One Squab Dies 155 

How to Tell the Period of Incubation 156 

When Both Squabs Die Before Three Days Old 158 

One Squab Smaller Than the Other 159 

Old Birds That Abandon Their Eggs 159 

Squabs That Leave the Nest Too Soon 1 jO 

When to Remove Squabs From Nest Room Kil 

How to Care for Squabs After They Leave the Nest 1G2 

When Pigeons Get Old 1G4 

Infertile Eggs 16G 



CHAPTER XHI 

RAISING PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 1G7 

Value of Raising Show Birds 167 

How, When and Where to Exhibit 168 

Raising and Selling Squab Breeding Stock 169 

Raising Pigeons to a Standard 172 



CHAPTER XIV 

PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET 179 

General Appearance of Product 179 

How to Kill and Pick Squabs 1 8(1 

Picking Squabs by Use of Paraffin 181 

Shipping Dressed Squabs 182 

Shipping Squabs to Market 18^ 

■ Shipping Squabs a Long Distance 184 

How to Ship Live Pigeons 185 

How to Cook and Serve Squabs 186 

Educating the Customer to Good Squabs and Prices 188 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 11 

CHAPTEB XV 

Page 

CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 191 

Squab Houses I have Seen 191 

Speed and Economy Vs. Old Fashioned Methods 200 

The Kind of a Squab House to Build 200 

How to Build a One or Many Unit Squab House 205 

Squab Houses for Small Plants 210 

Squab Houses for Large Plants 210 

Preparing Ground for Squab Plant 212 

How to Build a Squab Hovise 215 

Aisle-In-Front Plan 215 

How to Construct Overhead Exit Leading from 

Nest Room to Fly Pen 217 

How to Build a Fly Pen 218 

How to MaKo Wire Door Frame and Gate 222 



C.MAPTEH X\ I 

EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 224 

Eggleston Double Nest System 224 

How to Build Eggleston Double Nests 227 

Light and Air for Squab Houses 231 

Collapsible Mating Coops 232 

How to Build a Bath Trough 234 

How to Supply Drinking Water for Nest Rooms in 

Southern or Warm Climate 237 

Feed Boxes 238 

How to Make a Feed Box 239 

Double Deck Feed Boxes 242 

How to Build Feed Hoppers 242 

How to Make Grit Hoppers 244 

The Eggleston Nest Material Rack 245 



CHAPTER XVII 

MANAGEMENT AND BOOKKEEPING 247 

Methods of Management 247 

How to Dream the Maximum Squab Yield 248 



12 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Bookkeeping 249 

Causes of Failure 250 

Do's and Don'ts for Squab Breeders 252 

CHAPTER XVIII 

FANCY PIGEONS 255 

Characteristics of Different Varieties 255 

Raising Fancy Pigeons 256 

Mating Fancy Pigeons 257 

Developing Fancy Pigeons 257 

CHAPTER XIX 

PIGEONS THAT HAVE FREE RANGE 259 

Care of Common Pigeons 259 

How and When to Feed and Water Pigeons That Fly Out 260 

How to Construct Nesting Places for Pigeons That Fly Out 261 

Outdoor House for Pigeons That Fly at Liberty 265 

How to Keep Pigeons That Fly Out From Leaving Home 268 

Roosting Places For Young Pigeons That Fly Out 269 

CHAPTER XX 

HOW TO SUCCEED 271 

Learn Your Business 271 

Start Right 272 

Close Attention 272 

Details Are Important 27 2 

Make Work Easy 273 

Love Your Work 273 

INDEX 275 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



CHAPTER I 
WHY RAISE SQUABS? 

THE SQUAB INDUSTRY OF AMERICA 

From time immemorial pigeons have been kept in a domesti- 
cated state during whicli time many of them have served tlie 
purpose of furnishing the tables of mankind with wholesome 
and nutritious food but, it has been left for American ingenuity 
to put the rearing of squabs in large numbers upon a coin- 
mercial basis. 

Different persons have claimed the honor of this achievement 
and your author will not attempt to say who is the real founder 
of the industry. Squab raising is only in its infancy and as the 
requirements of meat production in America is an ever present 
one, this work is written in the hope that some new light may be 
shed upon this subject. 

Everybody engaged in pigeon raising, whether they keep a 
pair of common pigeons in the back yard, or breed pigeons for 
pleasure or for racing, or own a squab plant, large or small, are 
more or less interested and come under the head of pigeon 
raisers or squab breeders. 

. In dealing with this question, I shall try to treat it along the 
line of economy in time and expense, and to make it as instruc- 
tive as possible. 

While the various subjects of interest to squab breeders will 
be my chief topic, pigeons are pigeons, and consequently there 
are many methods which apply equally to the fancier and the 
squab breeder, so I will give these common points due con- 
sideration as I go along. 

13 



14 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



RAISING SQUABS FOR PROFIT 

Is there money in squabs? This is usually the first question 
that flashes across our mind when we first learn of the industry, 
and again the question is first asked when we contemplate enter- 
ing the Inisiness. Even those actually engaged in a small or 
irregular way often ask of themselves: Is there money in squabs? 

For the benefit of all interested, I will give a synopsis of the 
l)ossibilities of the squab business, and some facts and figures 
\\iiich should convince every "doubting Thomas" that money 
can be made raising squabs. Almost any industry can be 




GROUP OF BELGIAN CARNEAUX 



figured out with pencil and a piece of paper to meet the require- 
ments of a skeptical mind, and for that reason I will not under- 
take to figure the profits of the business from an assumed 
basis. I will give the cost of breeders; the cost of equipment; 
how much it takes to feed and care for squab producers; the 
number of squabs an average pair will produce annually under 
normal conditions; and the average market value of squabs in 
the various sections of the United States. With these facts one 
can make his own calculations, taking into consideration his 
locality, market facilities, the number of birds he expects to 
handle, and the amount of time he exi)ects to devote to th(^ 
business. While there are thousands of people throughout the 



WHY RAISE SQtJABS? 15 

United States making money raising squabs, there are many 
who are not succeeding, and some who have no knowledge of 
whether they are making or losing money. 

Belgian Carneaux are conceded to be, good, average all-around 
squab producers. Therefore, I will take this breed as a standard 
from which to figure profit and loss. 

The first item of expense to be reckoned in squab raising is 
ground space. If a squab plant is built in the country, naturally 
the ground space is worth but little. If it is built on the back 
end of a lot, it is also a small item, but if built on a lot purchased 
for that purpose, a fair interest on the value of the portion of 
the lot used must be added annually to expense. 

Good Carneaux from a reliable breeder can be purchased for 
about $5 a pair. House room, fly pen, nest boxes and other 
equipment, suitable for the average American climate, will cost 
for lumber and labor about $1.70 a pair, provided a house is 
planned sufficient for as many as 160 pairs; less than that 
number the building would cost more, proportionately up to 
$3.00 a pair. This is based upon the loft, fly pen, and nest 
box system described in this book, and it is firmly believed 
that the houses and buildings described herein will be as cheap 
as any. Forty pairs of squab breeders will do well in one room, 
8 by 10, feet, with fly pen 8 by 12 feet, making a total space of 
8 by 26 feet, counting a 4-foot aisle. It will cost to feed a pair of 
Carneaux for one year, including their squabs, until killing age, 
$1.80 or less. 

One man can, with good equipment and convenient arrange- 
ments care for 2,000 pairs of birds, with the services of one extra 
man or two extra boys or girls to help pick on killing days, so 
the proportionate annual expense of caring for squab breeders 
will be about 25 cents per pair, in excess of feed and housing. 

The breeding life of a pair of Carneaux is easily six years, 
so one-sixth of the purchase price of the breeders should l)e 
charged off annually, and it is also a good plan to charge off 
10% of the cost price of buildings and equipment annually, 
although buildings used for squab purposes will last a long 
time if painted regularly and properly cared for. 

Taking all the above into consideration, and allowing an extra 
percentage for waste and other leakages, the expense will run 
less than $2.50 a year per pair. With ordinary care and treat- 



16 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

merit, a pair of Carneaux will easily average 16 squabs a year, 
which will bring on any market, the year around, $5.00 a dozen. 

An economical person will be enabled to reduce the above 
expense. With careful and systematic attention, a pair 
can be made to produce a larger number annually; with a little 
good judgment and effort used in the selling end, squabs can 
be sold for more than $5.00 a dozen. These are facts that have 
been demonstrated over and over again, by actual experience 
and by tests, and can be depended upon to be correct. With this 
information it will be an easy matter for one to calculate how 
much he can count on making from each pair of birds, provided 
he has good breeders, properly housed and cared for, and a 
market. 

If squabs are sold to a private trade, hotels, clubs, or shipped 
to some commission merchant in New York or the large cities, 
they will bring more than $5.00 a dozen, but I have used this 
figure as a minimum amount that good squabs will bring in 
almost any market. 

Does it pay to raise squabs, can be answered in fewer words 
than the above. There is an unlimited demand for squabs at 
a fair price in America. Good squab breeders can be purchased 
at a fair price. The right kind of breeders are very prolific, 
healthy and easy to handle, and the expense of feed, care and 
interest on investment for any number of squab breeders v/ill 
not equal the amount received from the sale of their squabs. This 
is being proved by the hundreds of breeders daily, all over the 
country, but as the price of feed, method of handling and price 
of squabs vary, there cannot be a fixed percentage of profit 
determined upon. 

SQUABS CAN BE RAISED BY ALMOST ANYONE 

Lawyers, bankers, doctors, merchants, farmers, laboring men, 
in fact men of all walks of life, and women and children can raise 
squabs in large or small quantities if the proper interest is taken. 

Contrary to the average opinion, squabs can be raised profita- 
bly in the towns and cities of America, as well as in the villages 
and country, but not on as large a scale unless a place is pro- 
vided in the suburbs. A small backyard is sufficient space to 
accommodate quite a number of squab breeders. 

It only takes a ground space of 8x24 feet to comfortably house 
and care for 30 to 40 pairs of squab breeders. This much space 



WHY RAISE SQUABS* 



17 



can easily be squeezed out of almost any city lot without interfer- 
ing with the ordinary use of the lot. Any housewife or a boy 
of the family can, with an hour or two of time each day, 
devoted to the industry, care for 40 to 80 pairs of breeders, with- 
out neglecting other duties and, in fact,' most people will be 
greatly benefited by the outdoor exercise and diversity that 
would come through such a pursuit. 

There is always a local market that can be supplied with a 
few squabs, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, or a private 
trade which will more than consume the squab output of a 
small plant without much effort on the part of the owner. At 




FOUR UNIT SQUAB HOUSE AND FLY PEN FRAME COMPLETE 
READY FOR COVERING VV^ITH WIRE 

the present high cost of all meats, it would be profitable for al- 
most any family to raise as many squabs as they could consume; 
in all cases in addition thereto, enough squabs can be sold to 
more than buy the feed and defray other expenses, so that it is 
easily possible for a family to reduce their meat bill materially 
by keeping a few squabs in their own back yard. Almost any 
mechanic or laborer, clerk, business or professional man, can 
spare enough time daily to personally take care of 50 to 100 
pairs of squab breeders, which will not only prove profitable, 
but furnish recreation as well. 



18 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

In the winter, when the days are short, a trustworthy neighbor 
boy can generally be found who can be employed for a small 
sum to feed and water the breeders provided the owner leaves 
home before or after dark, and a neighbor boy can be secured 
for a nominal sum to come once or twice a week the year round 
for the purpose of cleaning, whitewashing or doing similar work. 

Squab raising or caring for a squab plant is really a pleasant 
occupation, especially for those who like to "keep busy." There 
is always something to do and the work is not unpleasant. 

SQUABS CAN BE RAISED ALMOST ANYWHERE 

Whether one lives in the north, south, oast or west — in a city, 
a village or in the country, squabs can be raised profitably with 
the proper care and attention. 

There are no offensive odors from a squab plant, and the l)ir(ls 
do not make enough noise to bother tiie nearest neighbors. 
Therefore, there can be no serious objection on the part of the 
neighbors to squabs being raised near them. It is tiiie tliat 
pigeons do a lot of cooing, and while it sounds loud at close 
range, the noise does not carry very far, aud cannot be heaid 
to any extent, 50 feet from a S([uab plant. A large i)huit can 
be easily maintained in the suhui'hs in any town or city aboul 
as profitably as in the country. 

There are some advantages gained ])y having a squab plant 
in the coimtry, that is, on a farm, l)ut theio are other advantages 
in a town or city squab plant, and in some respects one oftsets 
the other. As an example, ground space in the country is no 
item. Some special feeds can be raised to an advantage and 
other foods, can often be purchased in the country cheaper than 
in town, but on the other hand, the conveniences of city water, 
the advantage of a close market and shipping facilities will 
offset many of the farm advantages and conveniences. 

I have often heard people make the remark that if they lived 
in the country, where they could raise their own feed, they 
would go into the squab business extensively. They did not 
stop to figure that there was very little advantage to be gained 
by such a method, for the reason that all kinds of grain and 
pigeon feed can be sold or purchased at the market price, and 
if one raises his own feed U has only a market value. That 



ivht raise squabs? 19 

is to say, if one raises squabs and grain, the amount of grain 
that he feeds his birds should be cJiarged up against his birds, 
and credited to grain, for he coukl have sold his grain on the 
market, and taken the same money and bought grain from a 
neighbor with which to feed his squabs. The two businesses, 
therefore, are separate industries. Of course, if grain is used on 
a fami where it is raised, the expense of delivery is eliminated, 
and it is possible to raise a particular kind especially for pig- 
eons to an advantage over purchasing it, on account of freight 
charges and middleman's profit. 

One of the greatest assets of a squab plant located on a farm 
is the fact that a farmer could in many cases use an extra liand 
if he was raising squal)s as a part of his business; while without 
the squab plant he would not have sufficient work to justify 
an extra hand, and the man with just a squab plant would 
also not have sufficient ^^■ork to justify an extra iiand. As an 
exani})le, cliickens re([uire careful attention in the morning and 
night, especially during the liatching and brooding season. 
Pigeons can be cared for any time (hiring the day, so a chicken 
raiser could breed squabs to an advantage. 

Pr()bal)l\' the best way for one to calculate the most suitable 
l)lare to raise s([uabs is to r(>ckon from his present position, and 
tlien change his location and vocation the smallest degree pos- 
sible to enable him to em])ark in the squab industry on a scale 
his experience and convenience will permit, and then change 
his location and vocation as tlie growth of tiie squab industry 
demanded. 

WHEN TO START IN THE SQUAB BUSINESS 

Josh Billings wrote that "the time to set a hen was when the 
hen was ready.'' Pigeons breed the year round. There is noth- 
ing therefore to be gained in waiting for a certain time of the 
year to start. It seems to be natural for every person to want 
to undertake some outdoor work in the spring of the year. All 
nature seems to be awake at that period, and the human body 
and mind is no exception, and for that reason more people 
start raising squabs in the spring than any other season. I 
know no other reason for so doing, and there is no advantage 
to be gain(Hl b\' stalling one month over anotlier. Squabs 



20 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

bring more money in the winter than during the summer 
months, so if it is going to be a question of i^aismg birds for 
market, the fall would be as good a time as any, but if tiie 
start is made at any other time, the advantages of the wmter 
market would be enjoyed just the same. I would say therefore 
that the time to enter the squab business is NOW, and the place, 
with a few exceptions, is your present location. 

THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR SQUABS 

More and more the general public is learning to appreciate 
the true value of squabs as a food. 




FANCY DRESSED SQUABS READY FOR MARKET 

The rapid decrease of the supply of meat in the United States, 
coupled with the rapid increase of the price of meat, the former 
being the principal cause of the latter, is a problem that will 
have to be met sooner or later, or the people of America will, 
like Europeans, be forced to go without meat except on Sunday 
or rare occasions. 

Our population is increasing about two million a year and the 
annual decrease in beef cattle, caused by the settling of the 



WHY RAISE SQUABS? ' 21 

western grazing land, goes into the millions. The game in 
America once so plentiful is about extinct, and as time goes on 
these conditions will increase more rapidly and will be more 
noticeable each year. 

Viewing the meat question and squab raising from a broader 
standpoint, the time is rapidly coming when large squab plants 
are going to be found in every section of this country, as the 
public learn more of the value of squab meat, its delicious 
flavor and its cost when comparing its nutritiousness with 
that of other meats, squab meat will become more and more 
in demand, while the squab industry has made rapid strides 
in America in the past few years and grown to a volume 
beyond the comprehension of its most enthusiastic supporters. 
Even during war times when the price of grain was high the 
squab industry continued to grow. It is in fact only in its 
infancy and in a few years people will wonder why squaijs 
were not eaten in larger numbers before. Pound for pound, 
there are few meats, if any, that are more palatable, nutritious 
and helpful to the human system than squab meat. 

The leading physicians of the country are prescribing and 
recommending squab meat. It is strengthening and easy to 
digest. The old birds eat nothing but grain, the meat is rich 
with carbohydrates and protein. The rapid growth of a 
squab from an egg to a pound of meat in four weeks makes 
its meat tender and void of the tough indigestible cells found 
in other meats. The taste for squabs is not a developed one, 
once eaten always liked. 

PIGEON HABITS AND CHARACTERISTICS 

There are over 200 different varieties of pigeons, ranging in 
size from one-half to two pounds each. 

There are four general classes of pigeons: Racing, fancy, 
utility and common. 

Pigeons mate or pair off one female to each male. 

Pigeons mate when about five to eight months old and stay 
mated for life unless separated. 

Any male pigeon will mate with any female pigeon if shut up 
together or put by themselves. 

Pigeons lay two eggs and th.^.n go to setting; the second egg 
being laid the second day after the first is laid. 



22 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



It takes seventeen days' incubation for pigeon's e';:gs to liatch. 

Pigeons build their own nesis, litie birds, cnri'ving the straws 
to the nest one by one, and placing them in order with their 
bills. 

The male pigeon carries the nesting material to the female 
and she sets on the nest and arranges the straws in place. 

The male, as well as the female pigeon, sets on the eggs. The 
male relieves the female on the nest from about 10 to 4 each 
day, and the female sets on the eggs the balance of the time. 




PAIR OF SQUAB BREEDING HOMERS 



Pigeons continue to iset on the nest for several days after the 
young hatch out, to keep them from chilling. This is necessary 
even in warm weather. 

Most pigeons lay and raise young the year around, laymg 
again each time when their young are about two and one-half 
weeks old. 

Pigeons feed their young by first eating grain and drinking 
water, then they fly to the nest and by a pumping or belching 
motion the feed is transferred to the crop of the young. 

Until a squab is several days old, it is too young to swallow 
regular food, so the old birds feed them pigeon milk, a peculiar 
mixture that accumulates in the crops of the old birds after 
they have set on eggs 16 days. 



WHY RAISE SQUABS' 



^ 



Pigeon milk develops in the crop of the male hird as well as 
the female, although he serves less hours on the nest. 

Squabs (young pigeons) clo not leave the nest until they can 
fly, which is from four to five weeks after hatching, when they 
are fully feathered and about as large as their parents. 

Squabs cannot eat, and do not learn to feed themselves until 
after they leave the nest. 

Pigeons do not roost on perches or anything round. Their 
feet are flat and they prefer a flat surface to sit or stand on. 




CAR>TEAUX AT NIGHT 



S^' AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Pigeons do not eat meat, they live on grain principally, but 
eat a little grass, Swiss chard, clover or lettuce leaves in the 
spring and summer. 

Pigeons do not drink like a chicken, but more like a horse. 
They require a great deal of clean, fresh water. 

Pigeons do not scratch in the dirt like chickens, but depend 
on what they can find to eat on top of the ground in plain sight. 

Pigeons do not dust themselves as chickens do, but take a 
water bath instead, like canary birds. 

Pigeons shed their baby feathers when about three months old, 
then, like all other fowls, molt in the fall of each year, when 
they get an entire new coat of feathers. 

Pigeons live to be 12 or 15 years old or older, but are not active 
producers of squabs after 8 or 10 years of age. In fact, they 
slow up after 6 years of age. 



CHAPTER II 
GETTING STARTED RIGHT 

THE WAY TO START 

Whether one starts in the squab business on a large or small 
scale depends upon the capital he has to invest, the conveniences 
at hand and the time he can devote to it. 

There are two ways to start in the pigeon business. With a 
few pairs in a back yard or an immediate start with several 
hundred pairs, with substantial houses and ground room to run 
a good sized plant. If you go into the business with a few pairs, 
you should, as near as practical, follow the same methods, adopt 
the same equipment, and pay as much attention proportionately 
as you would if you had a large plant with several thousand 
birds. In this way you will establish yourself so that when your 
plant grows you will know just how to expand and successfully 
operate it. 

In outlining, therefore, the way to start and the essential 
things to do, I will vary only where it will be necessary to 
explain the difference between the buildings and ground re- 
quirements for a large plant and a small one. If you are going 
to start with a few pairs you should first prepare a suitable 
place for your birds. Carefully survey the premises to determine 
the most practical place available, always remembering that 
there is a right and a wrong as well as a best way to do every- 
thing, and that this applies to the squab business whether con- 
ducted on a large or a small scale. 

A section of almost any building will do for a nest room. 
A chicken house, bam loft, a garage or an attic will do to start 
with. A south or east exposure is the best. The place should 
be thoroughly cleaned, made rat and cat proof. A floor space 
4x6 feet is about as small as can be used with any degree of 
satisfaction, and if convenient a larger space should be provided. 

25 



26 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

An 8x10 room, however, is about as large as can be used to 
advantage, as a larger room than that will tend toward making 
the birds wild, and especially so if the ceiling is high enough 
to permit the birds to fly over your head. The space allotted 
off for the birds should be enclosed in solid walls, unless by 
so doing it will make it too hot or dark. A wire partition in 
part or in whole will do, but the better plan is to put a small 
window in for light and air. If a wire partition is used, 1-inch 
mesh chicken wire will keep rats out, where a 2-inch mesh will 
not. You may figure that any old box will do for nests, but you 
might just as well start right and the way to do that is to put 
in a few double nests and do everything else properly. 

More people fail in the squab business because they give it too 
little thought and attention than from all other causes combined. 
You should have a double nest for each pair to start with and 
a few extra nests will do no harm. Next you should make a 
feed and grit box and a nesting material rack. (See article on 
these subjects in this book.) Drinking water and a place to 
bathe should also be provided. (See article on same.) 

This will complete the inside of the house, after which you 
should construct a fly pen. A small wire enclosure a few feet 
square with wire overhead as well as on the sides will do for 
the birds to air and sun themselves. The fly pen need not be 
built on the ground; if not, the bottom of the pen should be 
covered with sand or fine gravel. (See article "Care of Fly 
Pen.") If this is not practicable, a good sized, low, fiat box should 
be provided and kept full of fresh gravel. This box can be kept 
in the nest room or fly pen. One or more running boards should 
be put up so the birds will have a place to light and sit while 
in fly pen. The proper construction of fly pens is explained 
elsewhere herein. 

In the meantime you should begin to look around for some 
birds. The kind to buy depends somewhat on the amount of 
money you have for that purpose, but you should bear in mind 
that if you start with inferior birds you will raise that kind, and 
the little extra paid for good birds over poor ones will come 
liack many times over in both number of birds and quality. For 
full information read article on squab producing breeds. About 
the surest way is to pay a fair price to some reliable breeder. 
It does not make much difference if the birds you get are not 



GETTING STARTED RIGHT ^7 

mated, just so they are old enough to mate and you get an equal 
number of males and females, as they will mate up and go to 
work promptly if you have favorable conditions. If you wish 
to start on a large scale, you should first find a suitable place 
for a squab plant. 

If you conclude to enter the squab business on a large scale 
from the start, I would suggest that you proceed about as fol- 
lows: First decide on a location. Of course the distance from the 
market has sometliing to do with the profits of the business, 
but as freight rates on feed is as high as express rates on squabs, 
in proportion to the amount consumed and sold, it is about as 
well to be near the supply of feed as the squab market. As a 
rule, the best section to enter the business is where you happen 
to be located. 

For each 40 pairs of squab breeders it requires a ground space 
(S feet wide and 26 feet long, 208 square feet, or about 2I/2 square 
feet to the bird. This allows for the Eggleston regulation squab 
house, making each nest room 8x10 feet square, and a 4x8 feet 
aisle in front, and an 8x12 feet fly pen. A 3-foot aisle and an 
8x10 foot fly pen will do, if you are short of ground space. 

Each 10-unit plant will require a ground space 26x80, which 
will house and care for 400 pairs of birds. To this should be 
added enough space for a feed and killing house. 

With a small plant one can store feed in the aisle or pas- 
sageway, or can even provide a small bin in the aisle for feed 
purposes, but with a large plant it is necessary to have a feed 
room, and also a killing room, either separate or together. These 
rooms can be built in connection with the squab house, or a 
separate building can be constructed for that purpose. 

T think the best plan is to build the feed room in connection 
with the squab house, so that it will not be necessary to go out 
doors in order to carry feed to the birds. A good plan is to 
leave one or two units vacant in the center of a squab house for 
this purpose, v/ith a door entering from the rear, and doors 
leading into the aisle or passageway to the birds on either side. 

Regular grain bins should be built around the walls of the 
feed room, and they should be mice and rat proof. A large 
convenient bin should be arranged for mixing the grain. The 
mixing place should be large enough to permit the use of a hoe 
or a scoop shovel for stirring or mixing purposes. 



^8 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



For the general plan and how to construct squab houses and 
arrange a squab plant complete, see article in this book on The 
Construction of Squab Houses and Fly Pens, Nest Boxes, Mating 
Coops, Feed Boxes, Grit Boxes, Tobacco Stem Crates, Bathing 
Troughs and Water System, which articles are accompanied by 
illustrative drawings that can be followed by a carpenter. 

In the meantime, you should arrange for the purchase of your 
breeding stock. There are a number of reliable breeders 
throughout the country that can furnish good l)irds at a fair 




A FANCY FLY PEN WITH SQUAB HOUSE IN CORNER OF BARN 
The above picture shows a fly pen built on to a barn in the fashionable 
section of a small town. The lattice work makes it unnecessary to 
have wire for that portion of the section. Any ordinary fly pen can 
be constructed along the same lines. If paint.ed and trimmed neatly 
they look very ornamental. 



price. I would advise against starting in with anything but 
first class breeders, regardless of the number of birds that you 
would start with. I would also advise that you determine on 
the best breed in advance and stick to that breed, and not be 
trying out several different kinds, until you are sure that some 
other breed is better than the one that you have, which would 
be time enough to change. 



GETTING STARTED RIGHT 29 

It will not be necessary for you to buy enough pairs to fill 
your plant, for you can allow young birds to accumulate 
until you have a full supply of breeders. You will not save 
as much, however, on this method as you might anticipate, for 
the reason that if you start to selling squabs immediately you 
can make enough money from the sale of squabs in six months' 
time to buy additional Jjreeding stock, and the birds that you 
raise \\\\\ not go to work much before eight or ten months 
depending upon the time of the year they are hatched. So from 
a financial standpoint, it is practically just as well, or it might 
he better to buy all your breeders outright, and. not depend upon 
raising breeding stock, as this is a branch of the business that 
requires special knowledge to handle successfully. 

All birds that you might raise would not be good breeders. 
You would undoubtedly have more males than females, and the 
expense of feeding the youngsters from the time they left the 
nest until they mate and go to work, added to the extra expense 
of care, and the loss due to an excess of males, will be about as 
much as new stock would cost, taking in consideration what 
you coukl have received for the birds had you sold them as 
squabs. 

Some of the largest squab breeders in the country buy enough 
breeding stock amiually to replace the birds that have outlived 
tli(>ir usefulness, rather than to go to the trouble and expense 
of iiiyjng their own broeding stock. Such men figure that they 
are in the squab business solely and make the most out of that 
lirancli of the industry. 

RAISING SQUABS FOR HOME CONSUMPTION 

More and more each year, as people become more familiar 
with raising squabs and the value of squab meat becomes better 
known, small squab plants are being established by many who 
do not enter the business from the money making standpoint, 
but merely for supplying squabs for their own use. 

There are many people who are situated so they can not raise 
chickens and so have never given thought to the idea that they 
might have a few pigeons, as they require no yard or range as 
chickens do. They are not offensive or objectionable, and a few 
pairs can be kept by almost anyone living in a city, even in a flat 
where the ground space and back yard is limited. 



30 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

A squab dinner is considered a luxury, yet it can be had onc0 
or twice a week at a small weekly expense, and the work o: 
caring for them be made so interesting that it is a recreation 
and a pleasure. 

The average standard bred squab will make a meal for a 
grown person. A pair of standard squab producers will produce 
two squabs every six weeks. Six pairs, therefore, will average 
two squabs every week. By the size of your family and how 
frequently you desire them, you can determine the number of 
pairs it will be necessary for you to keep in order to supply 
your demand. 

Those who are fortunate enough to live in small towns or in 
the country, where they have ample room for such things, can 
easily keep a few producing pigeons, raise enough squabs for 
their own use and supply a few neighbors, if they so desire, and 
use the proceeds to pay their feed bills and take care of other 
expenses. 

Lawyers, merchants, bankers, clerks, doctors and, in fact, 
anyone whose time is occupied indoors, can secure a lot of 
recreation in caring for a few pigeons at home and at the same 
time make it profitable and secure a food product that cannot 
well be secured otherwise. 

An elaborate or expensive place is not necessary for a sm;ill 
])lant. The corner of a barn or portion of a chicken house, or 
even a space in a garage, can be utilized for this purpose. If 
a person desires, he can build a fancy and artistic place lor 
pigeons in the side yard. 

RAISING PIGEONS WITH CHICKENS 

Pigeons can be raised in conjuction with chickens with little 
or no disadvantage to either, provided nests and other necessary 
arrangements are properly taken care of. 

Chickens are so much larger and stronger and faster eaters 
that the two cannot be fed together, for if they do the pigeons 
will not get all that is coming to them in the way of feed. 
Therefore, if they are kept in the same enclosure, the feed for the 
pigeons will have to be provided in a place that the chickens 
cannot get to. This can be arranged by either having the feed 
on a platform up out of the range of the chickens or in a small 



il 



GETTING STARTED RIGHT 



'61 




ORNAMENTAL SQUAB HOUSE AND FLY PEN 
A fly pen for a side yard pigeon house can be extended clear around 
fie house if desired but if so constructed there should be a division 
artition in the center of the back to prevent birds from flying- around 
one should desire to catch them. 



^ire or slat enclosure with the entrance large enough only to 
jdmit pigeons. 

The best plan is to have the nesting rooms separate and the 
y pens and run-way together. Then have the entrance to the 
i^eons' nest room so sipall or high up that the chickens cannot 



32 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



get to it. Chickens can with this arrangement be fed so that 
they can scratch for their feed and pigeons can be fed in their 
nest room, which is the best place to feed on account of keeping 
the feed where it will not be exposed to the weather, and where 
young birds will have access to it. 

The nesting for pigeons kept in connection with chickens 
should be so arranged that the hens cannot get into the pigeons' 
nests, for if they do they will trample and break the eggs and 
do other damage. 




QROUNP FLOOR PLAN FOR ORNAMENTAL SQUAB HOUSE 



GET STARTED RIGHT 



33 



An old hen with little chickens is especially apt to fight a 
pigeon if she is not used to them being around. The old hen 
seemingly taks the pigeon to be a hawk and will pounce on 
it with murder in her heart, often catching and killing or crip- 
pling the pigeon without its even having an opportunity to fly 
out of the way. 




\ \ \ \ \ ^-.. 



INTERIOR VIEW OF OCTAGON SHAPED SQUAB HOUSE 
Note aisle in front feed boxes and double nest constraiction the same 
in this small house as in the regulation Eggleston plan. 

RAISING PIGEONS FOR PLEASURE 

Aside from the money to be made from l)reeding squabs, the 
employment it will furnisb and the outdoor recreation, there 
is so much about pigeons and their habits, men and women, 
also boys and girls, can become so intensely interested in pigeons 
and the work of breeding them that it will become a pleasure. 
This is especially true when there is a fixed purpose to accomplish 
along the line of breeding; the Carneaux, for instance, will re- 



34 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

quire some study according to the adopted standard, and it can 
only be made more perfect by careful mating and selection, 
together with the skill which comes from a scientific study of 
the birds. 

I'ou will note by experience that certain colors and types, in- 
cluding shape of head, neck, eyes, etc., together with a certain 
carriage, is necessary. Carneaux collectively have all these 
qualities, and to get the largest number of them in one bird is 
a very interesting work and furnishes a certain amount of pleas- 
ure and satisfaction. 

ORNAMENTAL SQUAB HOUSE FOR SIDE OR 
FRONT YARD 

An ornamental squab liouse can be constructed and placed in 
a side yard or front yard in a way that will be very attractive 
and ornamental to the premises. 

There are several ways that such houses can be built, but 
about the most practical and easiest to construct is as follows: 
Made in octagon shape, five or six feet across, six feet high to 
the eaves, with a pointed roof and wide bungalow eaves, sur- 
rounded with a wide octagon shape fly pen, a part of which 
can be made of lattice work. 

The fly pen should be 12 or 14 feet across, which will leave 
a space of three or four feet around the building. The fly pen 
can almost entirely encircle the building or run on three sides 
only. 

The door of the building can have a sash in it which will 
furnish sufficient light or it is a good idea to have two or three 
small windows of ornamental design. 

The inside of the house can be equipped with four sections of 
double nests and will accommodate anywhere from 12 to 30 
pairs of birds. 

Such a house can be painted and trimmed to correspond with 
the other buildings on the premises. Dark bungalow green with 
a red roof and trimmed with white makes an attractive color 
combination. 



CHAPTER 111 

CARNSAUX 

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CARNEAU 

Nobody seems to know the origin of the Carneau. By some 
it is claimed to be a made or created breed, others maintain 
that it is a separate and distinct breed that has been in existence 
for centuries. Until the last fifteen or twenty years, however, 
the Carneau was little known in America. The first birds of 
this breed came from Belgium and France, and some claim that 
there are two branches of the breed, namely: the Belgiili Car- 
neau and the French Carneau, but I am strongly of the opinion 
that a Carneau is a Carneau, whether it comes from France or 
Belgium, at least birds coming from both of these countries 
appear to be just about the same. Neither of them, however, 
are developed to the present American standard, which has been 
greatly improved in the last decade, both from the standpoint 
of beauty in color and type, and its squab producing ability. 
The American Carneau is more imilorm in size and color, and 
is a better squab producer. I attribute this to the fact that we 
have specialized on these qualities here in America, and by the 
process of selection and elimination have gradually built our 
bii'ds to a higher standard. 

The Carneau in America is popular, because it possesses rare 
quality in the production of extra large, fat, plump, well fla- 
vored, white meated squabs. Coupled with this is its rare beauty 
and color, shape and size, its domestic and general disposition. 
The Carneau will do well in any climate, from frigid Alaska 
to the torrid Panama. It will adapt itself to almost any condi- 
tion, and immediately start on its perpetuous work of squab 
raising, which seems to be its only aim in life. The natural 
color of a Carneau is rich dark red with white feathers irregu- 
larly scattered over its body, or a rich buff or golden yellow 
with the same assortment of irregular white feathers, rare ex- 
ceptions, all red or all yellow. The desire of some breeders to 

35 



36 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



eliminate the white feathers in a Carneau and produce the solid 
colors has resulted in developing off colored birds; therefore, 
we frequently find Carneaux with more or less slate or bluish 
colored feathers on them, this off color generally appearing 
on the bird's rump or under its tail. Sometimes, however, the 
entire feathers will show more or less of a muddy or bluish 
cast. There is little or no advantage to be derived from the color 
scheme of the Carneau. Its main points of quality being its size, 
which should not be too large or too small, its type and squab 
producing qualities. 




SPLASHED CARNEAUX 



Those that desire to breed Carneaux for utility and squab 
producing purposes, strive to maintain the original colors of red 
and white or yellow and w^hite, and leave the production of 
the all red or all yellow to those who desire to raise the Car- 
neau for fancy rather than breeding purposes. Carneaux pro- 
perly handled become very gentle and tame; they will seldom 
fly off the nest when the nest room is entered and, as a rule, 
you can put your hand under the bird without causing them 
to leave the nest. They are good close, attentive setters, splendid 
mothers, and will care for and feed extra squabs that are 
put in their nests along with their young. 



CARNEAUX 37 

By a little management and care the nest can be changed 
about from one part of the room to another without causing 
them to leave it, if such a thing is desired. They can be sepa- 
rated from their mates and re-mated with other birds quickly, 
and will immediately go to work. They will mate and go to 
work at an early age and will produce squabs the year round, 
including the molting season, if they receive the proper care 
and food at that time. 

THE PROPER WEIGHT FOR CARNEAUX 

It is natural that people should want the largest specimens 
when selecting stock from which to raise squal)s for the market. 
Therefore, we cannot criticize them for having natural ideas 
even though they might be wrong which is the case as applied 
to Carneo.ux. The largest Carneaux are not the fastest breeders, 
and do not produce the largest squabs. There is a limit to the 
size of a pigeon and overgrown or undersized pigeons, like every- 
tliing else, are not fast breeders and will not reproduce them- 
selves in size. This is especially true with Carneaux. The well 
shaped, full breasted, blocky, medium-sized Carneau is by far 
the best squab producer. 

Tiie larger and over sized Carneau breeders will have a ten- 
deu'-y to produce large "all bone and feather" squabs and few 
in number. 

Mr. Jas. P. Kinnard covered the question of the proper weight 
of Carneaux when he wrote: 

"While Carneaux are larger than Homers, they are not an 
extra large breed. A pair of typical Carneaux will, however, 
aise more pounds of squabs in a given time than any other 
breed. 

The French standard of perfection, adopted in 1891, shows the 

f! ideal Carneau in France at that time to vary in weight from 

500 to 525 grammes (161-4 to 16 5-6 ounces) for cocks, and 425 to 

! 450 grammes (14 2-5 to 15 ounces) for hens. By a careful system 

of selection, mating and breeding these weights have been con- 

... siderably increased in America since that time, and the type 

consequently enlarged. 

The weights preferred by the standard of perfection adopted 
by the International Carneau Club of America are as follows: 



38 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Old cocks 24 ounces; young cocks 23 ounces; old hens 23 ounces; 
young hens 22 ounces.. However, nearly all the leading Ameri- 
can breeders agree that the medium sized Carneaux are the 
best, most typical and prolific of the breed. 

The Carneau is a bird of medium weight, and those of medium 
weight are more prolific than those of extra large size. Many 
breeders are, however, spoiling their Carneaux trying to get 
big birds. Some have them crossed with Runts and Mondaines, 
because of the seeming present demand for extra large birds, 
VA'hich is often the result of ignorance as to what size Carneau 
it takes to produce twelve-pound squabs. This is all wrong, for 
it is useless to produce a giant pigeon to the detriment of its 




RED AND WHITE SPLASHED CARNEAUX 

breeding qualities. This demand for extra large pigeons grew 
out of the misunderstanding of the constant urging of the pro- 
duction of larger squabs, for until recent years the squab market 
was being supplied with six, and eight-pound squabs. 

A pair of Carneaux that weigh thirty-two to forty ounces will 
produce squabs averaging twelve pounds to the dozen, while 
those weighing forty-two to forty-six ounces to the pair will 
produce squabs averaging fourteen pounds to the dozen, and 
even those weighing thirty-two to thirty-eight ounces to the pair 
will produce squabs averaging ten pounds to the dozen; the 
weight of the squabs, however, depending on the feeding quality 
of the parents, as well as their size and the quality and variety 
of the feed. 



CARNEAUX 39 

It is generally conceded by the leading Carneaii breeders of 
America that the eighteen to twenty-two ounce Carneau is the 
best, most typical and most productive of the breed. 

CARNEAUX WITH SLATE COLORED FEATHERS 

The common objection to slate or blue feathers on the Car- 
neau is no doubt due to the fact that most Carneau crosses have 
such feathers and while the presence of slate or blue feathers 
on a bird does not prove that it is not a full-blooded Carneau, 
tliis test acts as a safeguard to the inexperienced. The natural 
color of a Carneau is red and white. Rare specimens are red, 
and sometimes yellow. Sometimes they have slate or blue on 
tlieir breasts, rumps or on their tails. This slate is generally 
due, however, to the effort to breed extra dark, solid red Car- 
ueaux. When there is no pigment in the feather coloring the 
feathers are white, and with too much pigment they are darker 
tlian red and tak(> on a liluish cast, commonly called slate. 

Another objection to slate feathers is the tendency toward 
darker meated scpuibs. The presence of considerable slate in the 
feathers always means dark meated squabs. 

If one would discard all Carneaux with slate feathers and 
retain those without slate feathers they would be reasonably 
sure of having tlie i)ure brod stock, but this is really not the 
best te^t. A Carneau has otber marks of distinction besides its 
color which are just as much or more important. There are 
pigeons of the Carneau shade of red to be fonnd among lots 
of other varieties, and if the color test only applied one might 
have red birds with no Carneau blood in them and think they 
were Carneaux. 

For those who are not familiar with the Carneau, I will fur- 
nish a few of the most important and pronounced characteristics 
of the bird. The average hen will weigh from 18 to 22 ounces, 
and the cock from 19 to 23 ounces. If fat they will run a little 
more and if poor a little less than that. Both sexes are of 
blocky type— the cock having a little longer body and the hen 
a little deeper keel and fuller breast with a smaller throat and 
head. The beak is light in color, of medium size with a medium 
V-shaped wattle; the eye rather large and bright set in the 
middle of the head;. the top of the head round and high in front, 



40 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



coming almost straight down to the beak, forming an obtuse 
angle between the forehead and the beak or bill. There are 
other marks of special note but these mentioned are the most 
prominent. 

YELLOW CARNEAUX 

As previously stated, tlie natural color of a Carneau pigeon 
is red with white spots irregularly scattered over the body, witli 
now and then a solid red bird and rare exceptions a yellow and 




YELLOW CARNEAU 



white or solid yellow. There is but very little difference in 
reality in the color of a red Carneau and a yellow Carneau. 
(This is true of all breeds of pigeons.) The yellow is apparently 
just a little bit more negative in coloring matter, which by the 
way is more frequent with females than with males; that is to 
say, with all red breeds of pigeons now and then there is apt 
to appear a yellow female and so far as that goes, this same 
color characteristic appears in birds of any solid color, as the 
female will on exceptional occasions show lighter in color than 
males of the same variety. Dun females, for instance, will 
sometimes appear among black feathered birds. 



CARlSr£JAUX 41 

It is argued by some that it was necessary to cross with the 
yellow females of this breed, yellow males of some other breed, 
such as the yellow Homer, and then mate the offspring, which 
will be a yellow bird and one-half Cameau, with a female yel- 
low Cameau, then remating the yellow male offspring from 
this combination again with a full blood yellow female and so 
on until the Homer blood was eliminated. 

If this was true, where does the yellow male Homer come 
from, as the same rule applies to yellow Homers as applies to 
Carneaux, viz: that the yellow birds were originally females? 
See article on "How to Breed Yellow, Dun and Silver Colored 
Pigeons." The yellow Carneau exists now as a special variety 
of which there are both male and female and reproduce their 
kind without throwing any red or red and white youngsters. 
They will, however, produce yellow youngsters with white 
splashes the same as red Carneaux will produce youngsters with 
white splashes. The yellow or yellow and white Cameau is 
equal to the red and red and white variety in every particular, 
with possibly a little in its favor in the way of production of 
whiter meated squabs and a little in the favor of the looks of 
the squab, as a yellow feathered squab will dress up a little 
nicer and cleaner looking on account of its pin feathers being 
lighter in color. The pin feathers on a red squab are much 
darker than those on a yellow feathered squab. 

The yellow Carneau as a rule is freer from dark beaks and 
slate or bluish feathers, which characteristics tend towards 
darker meat. The squabs produced by yellow and white Car- 
neaux are just as large and just as many in number as compared 
to those of the red variety. 

WHITE CARNEAUX 

It may be possible to secure a white Carneau by merely se- 
lecting and breeding Carneaux with the greatest number of 
white feathers. I believe the term White Carneau, however, 
could be justly applied to a white bird that came within the 
standard for White Carneaux in size, color and other markings, 
even if it had a small percentage other than Carneau blood in 
its veins. 

I can substantiate tlie consistency of this statement by pointing 
to breeds of chickens and animals. For instance, with chickens 



42 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

there are white Plymouth Rocks, white Orpingtons, white Wyan- 
dottes and even white Rhode Island Reds that are made breeds 
and have been created by crossing in chickens with white 
plumage with the standard bred in order to obtain the desired 
feather color. 

A white Plymouth Rock chicken was first made by using the 
barred Plymouth Rock as a basis, then the size, shape, color 
of legs, feet, etc., was retained, but the feather color was bred 
to white by crossing in white chickens of some other breed and 
then breeding everything out except the feather color. Buff 
Rocks, Black Orpingtons and many other varieties of chickens 
have been established in this way; then, why is it not possible 
to cross a white-feathered pigeon with a Carneau, retaining only 
the white plumage qualities of its ancestors? If this can be 
done to such an extent that all the qualities of a Carneau are 
retained, including type, size, weight, color of eyes, beak and 
its breeding qualities, so that competent judges of Carneaux 
cannot detect any difference in the bird except its feather color, 
then why is this not a true white Carneau and why should it 
not be accepted as such? 

Such an undertaking and accomplishment is far more dif- 
ficult than might at first be estimated, and as it would require 
scientific effort, patience and time to bring about the desired 
results, why not reward a person who is successful in his un- 
dertaking by praise rather than condemning him? 

Here are some of the difficulties one will encounter if he 
starts to create White Carneaux by crossing, which in my 
opinion is the only way that they can be bred; the first offspring 
from a white bird and a Carneau will more than likely have 
dark feathers, dark beak and dark skin. The feathers will either 
be reddish or bluish In cast or both, and the youngsters will 
apparently be farther away from the white color than its Car- 
neau mother or father. 

This offspring, however, must be crossed back to a Carneau 
in order to keep it from getting too far away from the Carneau 
type and blood. Then the offspring from the cross must be 
again mated to a white bird with a possible chance of some of 
their young being white. Right here, however, is where the 
breeder will strike his first obstacle, as the white youngsters 
from such a combination will have black or blue eyes and, as 



CARNEAUX 



43 



the White Cameau standard specifically states that the eyes 
must be orange, this is a scumbling block which few breeders 
will ever get beyond. It can be accomplished, however, by again 
and again breeding back to the Carneavi and again and again 
breeding the offspring to white birds until the white bird is 
produced with an orange eye, then by crossing such birds back 




WHITE CARNEAU 
One of the essential features of a white Carneau is yellow or orange 
eyes which is the most difficult part of the breeding as most white 
birds have dark eyee. 



44 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

to full blooded Carneaux and their offspring with other white j 
birds with orange eyes which have been produced in the same i 
way. In time they will produce orange eyed white birds that ] 
will reproduce their kind and can be perpetuated as a breed. 

There are other points, however, and difficulties that must be 
considered and worked out along with the color scheme and 
the orange eyes. One is the light beak which is provided for 
by the White Carneau standard. It is hard to produce the 
white bird with orange eyes and a light beak, especially so 
when the first cross between a white bird and a Carneau will 
invariably throw youngsters with dark beaks and the first 
orange eyed bird produced will invariably have a dark beak. 
Difficulty also arises in maintaining the Carneau size and type. 
White Homers can be crossed in, but they are undersized and it 
is almost impossible to eliminate the strong Homer type in 
future generations. A White Runt is oversized and it is hard to 
eliminate the Runt-like appearance from future offspring. A 
white Maltese hen pigeon furnishes a good type, except the 
neck is too long, and it is hard to eliminate the uplifted tail. 
Therefore, when one asks what kind of a white bird can be 
used, the answer is that the white bird must be manufactured 
for this purpose by crossing and recrossing white Homers, white 
Runts and white Maltese, until a bird is produced that has al- 
most the correct Carneau size and type. 

For the benefit of anyone who might undertake this project, 
I will add that only a small percentage of white Homer blood 
should be used. Just enough to make a bird thrifty and active 
and to keep down the size slightly. A cross between a white 
Runt and a white Maltese will be a little oversized, but a well 
divided composition of a Maltese and a Runt is almost the de- 
sired type for a Carneau, except as just stated, the possibility 
of it being a little oversized; so a small amount of Homer blood 
is necessary to reduce the size. 

The next difficulty is the breeding qualities, as the Carneau 
is a fast breeder, and it would not be consistent to create a 
white Carneau in size, shape and other qualities without main- 
taining its breeding and squab-producing proclivities. This can 
be done if the white offspring is created in such a way that at 
least seven-eighths of its blood is Carneau. If anyone thinks 
that it is a cinch and an easy matter to breed and create a 



CARNEAUX 45 

White Cameau by crossing, let him be convinced of his error 
by trying it out for himself. There has always been a great 
demand for birds with white feathers, as they seem to attract 
the eye. The White Carneau when perfected, like white chick- 
ens, will be a very popular breed. There are a few White Car- 
neaux in existence, but as yet this variety is in the experimental 
stage. It, however, is a good cause and a worthy undertaking 
from a commercial standpoint, besides the work being most 
interesting and instructive to one who likes pigeons and enjoys 
accomplishing hard tasks. 

The first test of a White Cameau is the color of the eye. An 
orange colored eye is necessary. Without this the type, size 
and feather color mean nothing. Even though a white bird has 
an orange colored eye it must have the other qualities to qualify 
as a White Carneau and must be bred so that it will reproduce 
itself in color, type, and other necessary qualities when mated 
to a White CaiTieau. 

The fact that the White Carneau must have orange eyes makes 
them much more difficult to breed. 

Mr. A. Besche in the American Pigeon Journal says: "White 
Carneaux are fast gaining in poularity and we hear consider 
ably more of them now, especially so in the past twelve or fifteen 
months. To those who are breeding whites I should say, "stick 
it out" for I see nothing but a prosperous future, "greater de- 
mands," and hence better prices. Those who are not breeding 
them should try a few pairs and help bring this beautiful color 
even more to the front." 

BLACK CARNEAUX 

Black Carneaux liavo not yet been produced to any great 
extent. They can be produced in the same manner as the 
black Orpington chicken is produced and along the same 
method as is described in the article on White Carneaux. It 
is almost mipossible to produce Black Carneaux by selection, 
even though you might continue to select and mate together the 
darkest colored birds for an indefinite period. The result would 
be a dark blue or slate colored bird instead of a black one, as 
the dark pigment in a Carneau is not black but blue, and it is 
this bluish tint with the red that gives the red such a rich 
maroon cast. 



46 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

A bird with all the Carneau characteristics and one that will 
coixiply in type, size, head, color of beak, eyes, and in every 
other detail to the standard, can be produced with black, dun, 
white or bluish feathers by the process of crossing in a black 
pigeon of some other breed or any other color desired, and then 
breeding out the foreign blood by crossing and recrossing the 
offspring back to full blooded Carneaux, saving only youngsters 
of ihr (Icsircil color or those that had a tendency to the desired 

CO 1 01'. 

To establish a black breed of Carneaux therefore, by this 
metliod, we must cross Carneaux with black pigeons of some 
other breed. Homers, Runts or Maltese will do, but preferably 
a cross between these three breeds as is described in the article 
on Wliite Carneaux. 

Black Homers, Mondaincs, Runts and Maltese do not 
hcive light jxvtks, .-u d there are very few breeds of black pigeons 
that have light b( aks. There are black Tumblers with light 
beak.^;, but thex liave pearl eyes, and a Black Carneau must 
have a Carneau eye and not a Tumbler eye; hence the TumlSers 
or any pcavl-eyed pigeon cannot be used in the production of a 
black Car'neavi wii'iout encountering the necessity of breeding 
out pearl eyes, which would be an added obstacle. 

Hie offspi'ir.g of a jilaek pigeon and a Carneau will occasional - 
\y be dun or 1))0\\ n \\ ith light beaks, but offspring of the same 
combination are mure ai)t to be a dirty red with a smutty or 
bluish breast and rump, and some of the squabs by the same 
nuiting are apt !o ])e inottled in various colors, with occasionally 
a blue barred offspring; none of which can be used in the mak- 
ing of a black (.nrncau except the duns or browns with light 
beaks, and if these show bars on their wings they cannot be 
used. 

By recrossing the duns and browns with light beaks with 
other birds of the same color and produced in the same way, 
now ;ind then a black one will appear with a light beak. If 
it is then crossed back with a full blooded Carneau they will 
produce an occasional black youngster with a light beak, and 
after this point is reached successfully by several different 
routes, .-^o as to keep fairly free from in-breeding, such birds 
can be mated to others produced in the same way and remated 
until they will perpetuate themselves in color. It must be kept 



CaRNEAUX 47 

in mind that in the effort to secure color, the type and qualities 
of the Carneau must not be sacrificed or lost track oi, otherwise 
the result would not be a black Carneau. 

J^lack Carneaux must have light colored beaks, orange eyes 
and Carneau type in all other particulars. They must be bred 
so as to reproduce themselves in all qualities including light 
colored meat and beaks. 

Mr. A. Besche writing, on the subject of Black Carneaux for 
the American Pigeon Journal, says: 

"Up until the present time we have heard but little of the 
black Carneau, but few have made their appearance in the show 
room, and are no doubt bred by comparatively a small number 
of fanciers. What is needed to bring this additional color to the 
front, and to prompt more fanciers to breed them is to have the 
several clubs take them up and include blacks in the Carneau 
Standard. We could procure classifications in the premium 
lists oi Ihe various shows which are held yearly in the different 
parts of the country. You will then see this color forging ahead 
rapidly. No one can deny that a good jet black, with rich beetle 
green lustre about its neck, and deep solid color body, wing and 
tail featliers, and bred according to a revised standard, could 
not help but make a handsome bird. Yes, I may add, that if 
my judgment does not mislead me, these will in time compare 
with the other colors." 

UTILITY RATHER THAN FANCY 

By E. H. EGGI.ESTON 
From Hearst's Sunday American 

The public, as well as the majority of Carneau breeders, have 
held Carneaux with white feathers at too small a value, some- 
times to such an extent that these birds are considered crosses, 
or a poor class of culls, and has hurt the commercial end of the 
industry. As you know, the Carneau is a utility bird, and it 
could never be anything else any more than a Plymouth Rock 
chicken would be classed as a fancy breeder. Of course, the 
Carneau is a beautiful bird, and this is especially true of solid 
reds and yellows, and it is all right to produce all red or all 
yellow Carneaux and to compete for prizes in these classes, 
but it is not all right to allow a few fanciers to make a hobby 



48 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

of an industry to the detriment of those who are following it in 
a commercial way. The men that raise fancy Carneaux, proba- 
bly combined, do not own two thousand birds; yet they dictate 
the policy of the future of this breed over thousands throughout 
the United States who probably own half a million birds. It 
is a case of the tail wagging the dog, and the strangest part of it 
all is that these fancy breeders, are chiefly responsible for the 
present conditions, are not satisfied with the status of affairs, 
and complain about their customers demanding show birds for 
squab producing purposes. 

Almost every day I receive letters from people who want 
Carneaux for squab breeding purposes, and yet they describe 
and expect what is now classed as show birds. They must not 
have any white or blue feathers. I am not alone in this position, 
as almost everyone that sells a few Carneaux is up against the 
same proposition. Now what is responsible for this condition? 
Nothing more than the fact that the prevailing color of Car- 
neaux is red and white or yellow and white, and that birds 
of this color have been legislated against by the fancier's stand- 
ard until the public in general has been educated to the belief 
that the Carneau that has white feathers on its body is no good. 

Now, I have a plan that I believe will remedy conditions, and 
be a big boost for the Carneaux, both as a utility and a show 
bird. The success of all shows depends upon their financial 
success. Most pigeon shows today are run at a loss, because 
the general public is not sufficiently interested to make the gate 
receipts large enough to offset the expense of holding the show. 
Even when pigeon shows are held in connection with poultry 
shows, the pigeon end of it is not much of a success from a 
financial- standpoint. Poultry breeders do not meet with this 
difficulty, for the reason that the fancy end of the business has 
not run away with the utility end, and in all poultry shows 
there are more birds entered in the utility classes than in the 
fancy classes. The people who enter Plymouth Rocks receive 
a double benefit. They gain a certain amount of publicity, and 
learn what constitutes first-class birds in their variety. In ad- 
dition thereto they enjoy the sport of competing equally as well 
as the fancy. 

Now, my plan, in short, is to bring about a similar condition 
with pigeons, and I am interested in the Carneau, and as I 



CARNEAUX 49 

believe the Carneau the greatest utility bird known, naturally 
believe that the place to start is with the Carneau. I believe 
that if our standard was changed so that the average utility 
Carneau breeder would have a chance of winning prizes, and 
so they could show birds with the object of receiving some 
benefit by publicity, as well as for honor, that almost immediate- 
ly we would see a large number of entries in each show in this 
class, and in a short time there would be a lot of interest created 
among the utility breeders. And with the aid of the many 
Carneau breeders throughout the country, we would be able 
to increase our membership naturally, and bring about many 
things favorable to the Carneau cause. 

Now, liere is the standard that I would favor: I would start 
out with this statement that the prevailing color of Carneau 
pigeons was red and white and yellow and white, that the red 
should be a dark, rich, bronze color, etc., and the yellow a dark 
golden shade; that these birds had white feathers over their 
l)ody in irregular designs, and follow this by describing the 
ideal type, weight, size, head, beak, eye, etc., with instructions 
to the judges that birds should be judged and graded by com- 
parison with other birds in the same class, and points of excel- 
lence should be reckoned by the following schedule: Color to 
count 10 points, weight 8 points, and so on down the line, using 
the same schedule as our present standard gives, except I 
would change the proper weight to 19 to 23 ounces for cocks 
and from 18 to 22 ounces for hens. Birds over or under this 
weight would not be disqualified, but count so many points for 
each ounce under or over. I would next give the same schedule 
for yellow and white Carneaux, except changing the color from 
red to yellow, then a class for all red Carneaux and for all 
yellow Carneaux. Birds in these classes would not be eligible 
to compete in the red and white, or yellow and white classes. 
Following this the same standard for all white Carneaux, then 
there would be a standard for utility Carneaux shown in pairs. 
Any Carneau color eligible to compete with this class, preference 
to be given to the birds freest from slate and bluish feathers. 
In this class I would advise that the points of color be reduced 
and the points for weight and breast be increased. 

I would not favor an A. O. C. class, and would cut out the 
rose wings, as such birds cannot be reproduced and are only 



50 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

chance types of that color. Naturally there would be quite a 
howl to go up on the adoption of such a standard, and we might 
lose some members among the fancy, but by getting busy with 
the utility Carneau breeders throughout the country, I am sure 
we could gain ten members, yes, a hundred, for every one we 
lost, and such members would have some money interest in the 
business, and be of more value to a successful organization than 
a fancier. However, I do not feel that it is necessary to lose the 
fancy breeders, for with the red and yellow standard they 
should go ahead competing the same as they have been. In 
a short time, however, we would to a great extent change the 
present prevailing opinion that the Carneau should be red and 
not red and white. 

I am well satisfied with the results that I have accomplished 
this year in the sale of Carneaux, as I started in the spring with 
over 4,000 marketable birds, and sold all I cared to spare at good 
prices before molting time, and I believe that next year will 
].c even better, for I have had an increase in the sale of birds 
each year over the previous year, but that does not alter the 
case. I am not speaking from a selfish standpoint, but from a 
standpoint of what I believe will be greatly beneficial to the 
Carneau cause. 

SOLID COLORED CARNEAUX 

Solid colors are not important in Carneaux for squab breeding 
purposes. 

"Any color, just so it is red" is an old-time saying that applies 
to some ])eople's opinion of Carneaux. A pigeon of any size, 
type, shape, weight or peculiar markings seems to be acceptable 
to a lot of people, just so it is red or reddish. 

The quest I on is often asked: "Should squab breeders demand 
solid color Carneaux?" My answer is, NO! A friend of mine 
who raises Carneaux once stated that there were three kinds 
of Carneaux breeders, two of which were color blind and the 
other sensible. 

He went on to say that one class would have nothing but red 
Carneaux with no white feathers, and as little slate or blue 
feathers as jjossible, regardless almost of size and other qualities, 
with the result that their lofts were usually full of undersized, 



CARNEAUX 51 

ill-shaped, slow breeding birds. This class, as he put it, was 
"blind to cveiy thing but color." 

Another class was actually color-blind .and could not dis- 
tinguish slate, gray or even blue feathers from red ones and 
called everything Carneau that was reddish; as a result they 
had a lot of Carneau-Homer and other Carneau crosses with 
reddish backs and slate rumps, tails or breast. Such crosses 
do not look like Carneaux in size, type and markings, 1 ut their 
red feathers lead many people to believe that they are Carneaux. 

Now, do not understand that pure bred Carneaux do not often 
have slate or blue feathers along with the red, but if they do they 
will look like Carneaux in type and general appearance. 

As all Carneau crosses have more or less slate or blue feathers, 
it is a good protection to inexperienced breeders to steer clear 
of birds with such feathers and thus avoid getting hold of 
hybrids. 

The natural color of a Canieau is red, with white feathers 
scattered over the body, rare exceptions yellow. When the white 
icather is bred out, more or less blue or slate feathers appear 
and often the red takes on a smoky or dusty appearance. This 
is due to the pigment in the feather coloring. With no pigment 
lie feathers are white, with too much they are dark blue, and 
.^o it is hard to get just the exact amount of coloring to make 
all of the feathers dark red with no white, blue or slate. 

If one knows the true Carneau type it is easy to tell half or 
quarter i)ree(l crosses, as the general characteristics will crop 
out in one way or another in a hybrid, and this is generally true 
even of birds with only one-eighth or one-sixteenth other than 
Carneau blood in them. 

As an example, a Carneau-Homer cross will invariably have 
a fiat head with eyes near the top of the head, long bill and 
generally undersized, with more or less slate. A Carneau-Runt 
cioss will show a long body, short legs, long tail and a tendency 
to droop the wings, with usually a short thick neck and more 
or less slate. Even when Carneaux are crossed with white birds 
of other breeds the young will show dark blue or slate feathers. 

A Maltese and Carneau cross is as a rule just the opposite to 
the Runt cross, as the body is short, legs and neck long, and the 
short tail has a tendency to elevate like the Maltese. There will 
be some slate feathers, but not as much as in the Carneau-Homer, 



52 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Caraeau-Runt or Cameau-Mondaine crosses. All such hybrids 
are short many of the good qualities that go to make the Gar- 
neau such a splendid all-around squab breeder. 

There are many peculiar markings about the Carneau that are 
not common with other breeds. The type is distinct and about 
as follows: Medium length body, legs and neck, a good all-around 
compromise between the Runt and Maltese; medium sized, 
smooth, even bill; no feathers on legs below knee; large round 
eyes, orange or red in color, set in the middle of the head; 
forehead high and prominent; broad back, deep keel and good 
carriage. 

It would be just as nonsensical for a person breeding Homers 
to discard every bird except the pure white ones, or some other 
solid color, as for one breeding Carneaux for squab purposes to 
discard everything but solid red birds. We all know that the 
Homer breeder would be sacrificing a lot of his best breeders 
of good squabs for feather color, and just so with the Carneau 
squab breeder if he discarded all except solid red Carneaux. 



CHAPTER IV 
OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 

To give a full history and description of each variety of pigeons 
best adapted for squab breeding would consume considerable 
time and space. I will, therefore, confine my remarks to a brief 
description of the most popular breeds of today, which are 
Carneaux, Homers, Runts, Hungarians, Maltese, Mondaines, 
Polish Lynx and White Kings. Most any of these birds like the 
popular breeds of chickens are all right and each have their 
place in squab breeding. 

HOMERS 

The Homer is a bird a little larger than a common pigeon, 
but, owing to their build and feeding qualities, they produce 
squabs almost twice as large as a common squab, and a much 
fatter and better flavored squab. Homers come in all colors, 
black, white, blue, red, dun, silver and commingling colors, with 
blue barred and blue checkered as the predominating color. 

By reason of the prolific qualities of the Homer and its pro- 
duction of a plump, fat, meaty squab, it stands second to none 
as a utility pigeon, and if it were not for the fact that its squabs 
are small compared with other popular breeds hence bring less 
on the market, the Homer would stand foremost in the country 
as a squab producing variety. The utility or squab breeding 
Homer is the same breed as the Racing Homer, except one 
branch of the breed has been developed for its homing and fast 
flying tendencies, while the other has been developed for the 
production of squabs. The homing instinct is an objectionable 
quality in a squab producing or utility pigeon, for the reason 
that if liberated they will fly away, unless the bird was raised 
at the place liberated. They are not able to find their way back 
home, as is generally presumed, unless they have been trained 

53 



54 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



for that purpose, by first taking them a short distance from their 
place of birth and liberating them, then a greater distance and 
greater distance until they will be able to return home from a 
distance of several hundred miles. Homer squabs are desired 
where squabs are served in cafes, clubs, hotels, etc., as a part 
of a regular meal, but the person who orders a squab as a 
principal part of his meal prefers a larger bird, and the same 
is true with private trade. As there is also a ready market for 
large squabs, and as squabs range in price according to the 
number of pounds they weigh per dozen, the natural desire of 
squab breeders is to produce a large bird. The effort has con- 




BLUE BARRED HOMERS 



sequently been to tiy to develop a breed that would produce as 
many squabs as the Homer, and at the same time a larger and 
more valual)le squab. 

Homers are very thrifty, hearty good feeders, and make 
splendid mothers. On account of this quality they are often kept 
and used as foster parents for the purpose of hatching and rais- 
ing the young of other breeds. The Homer seems to have a 
wild-like instinct, and is quick to fly off its nest and slow to 
return to it, hence the successful breeder of Homers must bear 
this peculiarity in mind and manage his pens of Homers in a 
way not to disturb them, and in a way to make them as tame 



OTHEH BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 55 

as possible. The Eggleston plan of double nests and squab 
house with the aisle in front is especially adapted for this pur- 
pose. The chief objection to this breed, is its smallness in size. 
But in almost all markets throughout the country there is a 
ready demand for fat, well developed, plump, small sized squabs, 
which the Homer squab will supply better than any other breed. 
Therefore, the Homer as a squab producer has its place among 
squab producing pigeons, and is a profitable l)reed to raise. 

GIANT RUNTS 

Some jester in ancient times must have given this largest 
of all pigeons its name which has until recently been just plain 
Runt, but to overcome the likely impression that a Runt pigeon 
was a small breed, the Ameiican bri,»eders have abided a prefix 
and now the breed is known as the GIANT RUNT. 

The Runt is an ancient breed. John Moore in his "Treatise 
on Pigeons" edited in London, 1735, calls the Runt an ancient 
breed. He mentions the Leghorn Runt as an exceedingly large, 
broad-breasted bird with tail slightly erect and wings somewhat 
drooping. He describes the Spanish Runt as standing up more 
boldly with wings resting on the tail. But the nearest of all to 
our standard Runt ot today seen.s to be his description of tho 
Roman Runt. He states that the Roman Runt stands up boldly, 
very broad-breasted and wcighin<>* up to two and a half pounds. 
Some other birds were even heavier than that for, as he states, 
a Runt will improve in size for av, least four yeais. Th? Roman 
Runt seems to be the one the Germans have as they call it the 
Roemer Taube or Roman Runt. 

Moore states that even back in 1735 he had seen gentlemen 
pay 25 pounds ($80 to $85 in U. S. money) for a pair of Runts 
weighing four and three-fourti-s pounds to the pair. 

Mr. King writes in the American Pigeon Journal: "The Giant 
Runt, being the largest bird in the pigeon family, always at- 
tracts a great deal of attention. Some breeders claim that the 
Runt is not as prolific a breeder as the small breeds. This may 
be the case in some instances if the stuck is old and wornout or 
of the stock originated from a poor producing strain. I have 
found that more often the fault lies in the fact of the over- 
crowding of these birds." 



56 AMERICAN SQiJAB CULTtmE 

Small individual houses, with a separate compartment tor each 
pair is the best way to obtain good results. The added expenes 
in building these separate houses, will be more than offset by 
a year's breeding, in extra returns. The dimensions of the 
individual houses, are as follows: The house proper is seven 
feet long, six feet wide and six feet high. They are built on 
the double-deck order, having two floors and each floor is divided 
into two compartments, making four in all. There is a slanting 
roof over half of the top. The nest boxes should be at the back 
and fifteen inches square. The approximate cost, including 
material and labor, for the above houses, is $12. This will house 
four pairs of breeders. 

The white Runt is a faster breeder than the other varieties, 
although there are exceptions. The average weight of Runt 
squabs is from three to four pounds to the pair. If one is selling 
squabs by weight, which is the most profitable way, the added 
weight is a great advantage over smaller breeds. For a strictly 
fancy trade. Runt squabs cannot be surpassed. On account of 
its size some think that the Runt squab would be coarse and 
lacking in flavor, but this is not the case. Runt squabs are not 
only large and fat but juicy and well flavored. 

Runts are bred in most all colors common to pigeons and will 
breed true to color if one desires to pay attention to that feature. 
For squab producing purposes, however, color cuts but little 
ice, except to keep away from smutty tendencies which will 
tend to dark meated squabs. Sam Elton, describing the various 
color varieties of Runts, says in the American Pigeon Journal: 

From a fancier's standpoint, the giant Runt is the most inter- 
esting breed to breed and is rapidly coming to the front and 
attracting a great deal of attention. In breeding blues and sil- 
vers, it is best to mate these two colors together. By continually 
breeding blues together in time they will become too dark and 
smutty or smoky in color. The same applies to the silvers, for 
they will become too light in color with very indistinct bars. 

White Runts 

White Runts are gaining in popularity rapidly. Probably this 

is partly due to light meated squabs coupled with the fact that 

people just naturally take kindly to white pigeons. The color 

of the white Runt should be a clean uniform white over the 



OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS" 57 

entire body, including flights and tail. They should have dark 
on the ball of the eyes in England while pearl is preferred in 
other parts of Europe. The beak and claws are almost white, 
more so than those of colored Sclfs. Yolmg whites sometimes 
have pinkish feathers, but these generally disappear after they 
molt. The legs and feet are free and clean from feathers. 

Blue Runts 

The blues should be of beautiful light blue color. The head, 
neck, flights and tail should be of a darker blue. The rump 
should be all white or all blue in England while on the Conti- 
nent of Europe it should be white only. Blue rump is considered 
faulty on the Continent. The wing bars are neat and black, 
dividing at their lower part and rejoining at the other end in 
the shape of a long narrow "V." Between this "V" a long blue 
triangle is seen. The tail feathers terminate witli a black band 
of about 11/4 inches or more. The outer side of the other feathers 
are white, beginning at the l)lack band and extending upward 
for about 4 inches. The beak and claws are a dark slate color. 
Legs and feet are clean and free from feathers. 

Faults are rump splashed with colored feathers and dull or 
smoky blue or white feathers in the flights, tail or body. 

The blues are about the biggest Runts. Sometimes they have 
white feathers under the abdomen and on the cuff or leg. This 
is a fault that may be overlooked, provided such feathers are in 
small numbers. Light blues are preferred to dark blues. Blues 
and silvers of great size and feather lengths are sometimes mated 
to a good white in order to improve the size and the length of the 
feathers in whites. Young blues or silvers from these matings 
should not be mated to a pure blood blue or silver or to any 
other Self-colored bird, but to a white. Never mate a delicate, 
long-feathered bird to a short, cobby, broad-backed, big-chested 
bird as no improvement will be gained from such a mating. In 
order to secure light blues, they are mated to silvers, but here 
the blues gain and the silvers lose in color. 

Grizzle (Pique) Runts 
I have never seen this variety out of France. They have almost 
entirely disappeared. There are two varieties: the white- 
speckled black and the grey-speckled black. The former are 



58 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



most favored. It is a very pale white and the latter a very pale 
gray while young, the hlack markings appearing only after the 
first molt. 

Silver Runts 

The silvers are of a clean, pale cream color. The wing bars 
and tail band are a dark brown or black. I have never seen a 




SILVER RUNT 



silver with black bars. The neck and breast are brilliant 
brown. The rump and under-wing color is a pure white. The 
beak and claws are pale pink, but a little darker than those 
of the colored Selfs. 

The great fault is in dark or dull color. They improve 
still more than the whites viier second molt. The grays be- 
come darker. Those marked on their necks and bodies with 
red feathers have no value. They should have white and 



OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 59 

black or gray and black feathers only. The beak and claws 
should be clean but slightly darker than those of the whites. 
The legs and feet are clean and free from .feathers. They have 
pearl eyes. 

Selfs 

All selfs should be of a solid uniform color all over the body. 
They should have no mixtures or other colored feathers on their 
body. They should be clean, clear and without smokiness. 
Rumps should also be clean and of the same color as the other 
part of the body. The beak, claws and feet should be clean. 
All colored selfs should have pearl eyes. 

Yellow Runts 

Yellows should be a solid uniform color throughout. They 
should not be too pale nor should they approach the red. The 
beak and claws are clean and have no marks on them. They 
should be a pale pink. Legs and feet are clean. Some faults 
are ashy rump and dark marks on the beak or white feathers 
in flights or tail. Sometimes the young have whitish feathers 
in. the flights or the tail, but they generally disappear after the 
first moult, if not, then eliminate the bird. Never mate two 
pale yellows. Never mate yellow to black nor yellows to birds 
with barred wings. 

Red Runts 

The reds ishould be of a rich cliestnut red over the whole body, 
including flights and tail. The beak and claws are rather of a 
flesh color. Faults are smoky rump, dull red or too pale a red. 
The only way to secure good reds is to breed from red matings. 
I never had a good red from anything but two good reds, and 
well selected reds at that. Good reds are the most difficult of all 
Rujits to breed. Red hens run rather too small. Never mate a 
red to birds with barred wings. 

Black Runts 

The best blacks are those with a brilliant neck as low down 
as their breast (a reflecting beetle green). The beak and claws 
are pale pink as far as possible. Nearly all blacks have beaks 



60 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

that have a dark-colored crown or dark markings toward their 
extremity. It is very difficult to secure a perfect black plumage 
and a white beak as well. Faults are dull smoky-black color. 
Entire black beaks are to be discouraged. Never mate black 
to yellow. In order to conserve a white beak in blacks, they 
are mated to a good red with a white beak. 

The strength of the bird is its type, perfection of its carriage 
and the beauty of its head and eye, and last but not least, its 
squab producing qualities. 

HUNGARIANS 

The Hungarian is peculiar l)oth as to type and color markings. 
They are a most beautiful bird, stand erect with head and tail 
uplifted on the order of the Maltese pigeon but not so 
extreme. Their color markings are regular and positive, gen- 
erally black and white but can be bred in red and white, blue 
and white and kindred colors. Starting from the butt of the 
beak, a strip of white extends across the head, down the neck 
and ends in the center of the back with a connecting ring of 
white feathers around the neck extending to the under part of 
the bird which is all white. The face, breast and tail are black 
and the entire wing is black except the end of the wings, or 
flights, which are white. All other colors are marked the same 
with the colored feathers taking the place of the black. 

The Hungarian is very hearty, an exceptionally tame bird, 
very domestic, an extraordinary good feeder and a splendid 
producer of extra large golden meated double breasted squabs 
in goodly numbers. Mr. Lewis in American Pigeon Journal 
says: "One of the most beautiful utility breeds of pigeons is 
the taped Hungarians, with their contrasting colors of black and 
white. The first birds of this kind that we had in this country 
were imported from Hungary from which they derived their 
name." The Hungarian pigeon is a very peaceful bird. I sup- 
pose this characteristic was acquired after they were imported 
from the land of trouble, which is more than we can say for the 
originators of the breed. The male birds seldom want to claim 
an "affinity" and one never finds eggs or squabs destroyed on 
account of continual fighting going on in the lofts, which often 
happens with some breeds where more than three or four pairs 



OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 



61 



are kept in one pen. I have often taken a squab from some 
other variety tiiat was not getting properly fed by the parents 
and put in a nest with a pair of Hungarian squabs and the old 
birds would raise the three to be fat and plurnp at four weeks 




BLUE BAR HUNGARIAN 



of age. In the show room these birds are very attractive on 
account of their color markings. 

The beauty and many other qualities of the Hungarian should 
make it a popular squab breeder and a good show bird. 



I . MALTESE 

I 

'; The Maltese is also known as the Maltese Hen Pigeon probably 

j because it resembles a chicken about as much as it does a 

pigeon. Its habits are like all other pigeons, except it is a poor 

flyer, likes to nest near the ground and has greater strength. 

The Maltese is not quarrelsome but will fight if given cause 



62 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

and can whip any other breed of pigeons. The Maltese is a 
splendid feeder, healthy, and takes good care of its young. As 
squab producers they have few equals as to the size of the 
squab and especially the amount of meat on the breast. In this 
respect the Maltese squab is more like a quail only much larger. 

The Maltese is an old variety. Mr. Pearce writing for the 
American Pigeon Journal stated: "The origin of the Maltese 
like other varieties appears to have no particular starting point. 
When Noah went into the ark, he had several birds known as 
doves, but possibly our Homer fanciers would claim these as 
the first of the Homers for the fact that these doves did manifest 
a homing instinct when one returned to the ark with the olive 
bj^anch. Like other creatures, when going back to the time of 
the flood or earlier, the question of origin is as puzzling as it is 
interesting." 

In supposing that all so-called varieties originated from these 
original doves, the question is naturally asked: "Why the many 
colors, shapes and sizes?" They are possibly due in part to the 
influences of climatic conditions, effects of mineral absorption, 
environment, freaks in nature, special selection and mating by 
man. Thousands of reasons might be produced to partially sub- 
stantiate the origin of all the numerous varieties. 

The Exhibition Maltese is the same as the squab producing 
bird except it is bred smaller and more attention is given to the 
length of the neck and legs and the upright carriage of the 
bird. Dr. Kleeman says: "Maltese breeders and fanciers are 
agreed that the true Exhibition Maltese with long, well arched 
head, long, thin, curve neck, long straight legs and short coupled 
body is one of the hardest birds to breed true to type. The 
average pair of Maltese will raise six pair of squabs a year, 
figuring conservatively, and out of the six pairs one can expect 
one pair of show birds, two pairs of stock birds which lay the 
foundation for more show birds, and three pairs of culls." 

Split tails in Maltese are very hard to overcome. This can be 
accomplished however by mating such a bird to one that has a 
short, full, broad tail while the bird must have an oil sack. Wry 
tail is another defect which is very hard to overcome as it seems 
to be hereditary. I have mated wry-tail birds — that is a left 
wry with a right wry — but to produce the desired result the birds 
must both have oil sacks, otherwise the off-spring will develop 



OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 



63 



split tails. Short wing flights crossing in front of the tail can 
only be produced by mating a short-back bird to a long-back 
bird and in this way one can correct this defect and strike a 
happy medium. 

C. R. King writing for the American Pigeon Journal covers the 
Maltese nicely when he says: "California has long been noted 
for its fine Maltese. In fact, there is no doubt that there are 




WHITE MALTESE 

more and better Maltese bred and raised in California than in 
any other state in the Union. The climatic conditions are such 
that the birds seem to develop and thrive from the start. 

From the utility standpoint, the Maltese is one of the most 
valuable birds. They are very strong feeders and take good 
care of their young. They are used quite extensively on the 
Pacific coast as a producer of 'double breasted' squabs for mar- 
ket. These squabs weigh around twelve pounds to the dozen. 
The Maltese is an ideal bird for crossing, being short, blocky, 



64 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

and very full breasted. For this purpose it is used with the 
Runt more than any other breed and probably one-third of the 
squabs raised on the Pacific coast are from this cross. These 
squabs range in weight from twelve to eighteen pounds to the 
dozen. I have raised a few that weighed twenty-two pounds at 
four weeks of age. This cross, and in fact any cross in which 
the Maltese is used, make strong and healthy breeders and 
feeders. 

Quite a few of the Homer breeders, especially breeders that 
have white birds, are crossing them with the Maltese. This 
makes an ideal cross, being fast producers of fine-shaped squabs 
which weigh from eleven to thirteen pounds to the dozen. We 
have crossed the red and the yellow Carneau, which results 
in a fine-looking bird, and produces squabs that weigh from 
twelve to fourteen pounds to the dozen. This is about the only 
successful cross one can make with the Carneau on account of 
the danger of dark-skinned squabs, but by crossing with the red 
or yellow Maltese one is sure to produce white-meated squabs. 

From the fancier's standpoint, the Maltese is considered one 
of the most difficult birds to breed to perfection. First-class 
specimens must be 'well up' on legs, short back, long neck, 
carry wings folded in front v)f tail and must be of good size but 
not "beefy." Fanciers of this variety consider themselves lucky 
if they can produce one or two top-notch specimens in a season's 
breeding, and it is usually from the stock pairs that the best 
results are obtained. First-class show birds are quite scarce 
and bring good prices, ranging from $15 to $50 per pair. First- 
class utility stock ranges from $3 to $6 per pair." 

SWISS MONDAINES 

The Swiss Mondaine is a pigeon larger than a White King 
and smaller than a Runt. They are of longer le^s and neck 
and are more graceful looking than either and are indeed a 
very beautiful bird. They are becoming very popular in Ameri- 
ca both as squab breeders and show birds. Those who breed 
them claim they are among the best as squab producers, hearty, 
thrifty and exceedingly domestic. 

It is claimed that the Swiss Mondaine came from Switzerland, 
but be that as it may, the breed is now recognized and they have 
a recognized standard. There is a Swiss Mondaine Association 






OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 



65 



with a large membership and many Swiss Mondaines in 
America. 

There are many large breeders of Swiss Mondaines throughout 
the country among them are F. M. Prevost and Wilbur T. Helm 
who have been kind enough to furnish some information regard- 
ing this breed. A portion of letters received from them is quoted 
below: 

Mt. Clemens, Mich. 
Mr. E. H. Eggleston: 

Tour letter of recent date received and I am enclosing you Swiss 




PART OF A PEN OF WHITE SWISS MONDAINES 



66 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Mondaine standard. I consider this a wonderful squab producing- bird. 
I have over four thousand pairs of these birds and am meeting with 
great success shipping them to all parts of the country for squab 
breeding purposes. I filled one order for one thousand pairs. 

To start with I purchased several pairs at eighteen dollars per pair 
from a party that came direct from Switzerland in 1905 and have kept 
them and improved the strain ever since. I have never seen such 
squab breeding. Squabs average three pounds in weight at twenty-four 
days old. 

I have a very large plant constructed along your lines and ideas 
which is giving- me the greatest of satisfaction. 

F. M. Prevost. 



Oxnard, California. 
Mr. E. H. Eggleston: 

The following Is some information regarding Swiss Mondaines. 

For almost a decade there have been a few White Swiss Mondaine 
pigeons in this country, with a light scattering of the Blue-Bars and 
an occasional Silver, which is an off-shoot of the Blue-Bars. 

The White Swiss has been in a few breeders' hands who realized 
their worth and as none of their owners happened to be men who kept 
them for a purely commercial purpose, but who were at the same 
time rather jealous of their pets, their price was prohibitive, in those 
days when a squabbing pigeon was considered a child's plaything or at 
most, far less valuable than a common chicken. 

However, today a utility pigeon's worth is appreciated and its worth 
is high or low according to its production. And as the Swiss Mon- 
daine's squabs run from 15 to 18 lbs. to the dozen, good, healthy birds 
of this breed are worth considerably more than the average utility 
pigeon whose squabs usually average 10 lbs. to the dozen. 

The number of squab marketed from a pair of Swiss Mondaines will 
equal the production, squab for squab, of any of the utility breeds 
that produce the 12 lb. squabs. The consumption of grain per pair 
is such a slight amount over that of the producers of the 12 lb. squabs, 
that unless there was large lofts of these birds this increased grain 
consumption would hardly be noticed. 

The scarcity of the White Swiss Mondaine is their only drawback 
for the commercial squab plant, for this scarcity tends to keep their 
selling price well above that of the more common utility breeds. 

However, the writer knows of a number of relatively large com- 
mercial plants that are "running up" flocks of White Swiss to take 
the place of the birds they now possess. 

Those that are interested in pure bred live stock will appreciate the 
fact that a number of the leading White Swiss Mondaine breeders 
have a Record Association under way that will issue registered pedi- 
grees on- the White Swiss, this in itself may not amount to very much 
at the present time, — but time will tell, and in every instance the 
non-registered are forced to give way to the bird, stock or hog that 
has its pedigree of pure breeding. 



OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 67 

The White Swiss Mondaine is a bird that has not been pampered 
with its private apartments, it has had to g-o into regular, every day 
squab houses and in doing- this it has been working under a handicap, 
for it's a large bird, but in the little 12 in. nests it has proven its 
worth, and today the squab house with the 14 x 14 in. nests that are 
well filled with the bouncing twenty to twenty-four ounce squabs 
is as nice an investment as any one could wish for. 

The bird itself is " a long, sweepingly upright" white pigeon that 
realizes its size and strength and on that account is not nervous or 
flighty. It has a deep-hazel eye that is remarkable for its "liquid 
depth" and the smooth red, eye-cere and feet are the finishing touches 
to a graceful, well groomed bird, who has been pure- bred for at least 
fifteen years with "speed in production" as the motto for all matings. 

WILBUR T. HELM. 



Crested Mondaines 

I confess my ignorance regarding this breed. I have tried to 
secure information with reference to same, but have made but 
little headway. The bird with a crest called Mondaine is a large, 
fine looking specimen of a pigeon, an extra good squab producer 
while it is active, which is chiefly in the spring and summer 
months. This bird might possess many qualities from a utility 
standpoint, but with no more direct knowledge or information, 
this is as far as I can go. 

POLISH LYNX 

As the name would indicate the Polish Lynx pigeons originat- 
ed in Poland. The breed is a very old one but as yet compara- 
tively unknown in America as squab breeders. They are of 
heavy blocky type, low short legs, and broad across the back 
and full breasted. 

Polish Lynx are bred in two colors, blue with white bars, 
where the ordinary pigeon has black bars and black and white 
speckled. They are certainly a very beautiful bird both in type 
and feather color and I understand are good squab producers. 
Although the author's personal experience with the Polish Lynx 
is limited, I could almost vouch for it on general good looks and 
its seeming domestic habits. 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE^ 



WHITE KINGS 



There is no bird in America that has made the rapid stride 
in popularity that the White King has the past few years. 
Since this breed has become standardized it has improved won- 
derfully in size, type, squab producing and other qualities. 

I attribute this principally to its color and the good judgment 
used in selecting a standard that allowed for the development 
of the points that make birds good fast breeders of large fat 
squabs. 

Following is an article by Prof. Frank C. Hare on the standard 
and origin of this new bird: "Years of scientific line-breeding by 
American fanciers with a definite standard or ideal to attain, 
resulted in the formation of a new breed of pigeons of unques- 
tionable merit. Although this breed, quite appropriately called 
the White King, is a composite of breeds in various classes, so 
completely have the different types and characteristics been 
harmonized, that present-day specimens have few birthmarks 
to indicate the heterogeneous parentage. 

The White King is a middle-weight pigeon, neither so large 
as to be cumbersome and slow breeding, nor yet so small as to 
appear insignificant among the larger breeds. Its attractive 
appearance is emphasized by the remarkable development of 
the deep, well-rounded breast, the broad, strong back, the com- 
pact, plump body carried horizontally on the short well-set 
legs. It is a breed of curves, with each section of the body blend- 
ing easily into another, and, when these rounded sections are 
seen in the harmonious grouping found only in the White King, 
the highest type of physical beauty is portrayed. 

A delineation of the revised standard of the White King as 
adopted by the American White King Pigeon Association will be 
instructive to numerous breeders who have not in their mind's 
eye a clear-cut picture of the ideal exhibition White King, and 
who wish to select for the show room a few specimens that will 
please judge and exhibitors and prove an honor to their loft. 

Let us first discard those specimens that are unworthy of 
consideration. The remainder can then be critically judged by 
the standard, weighing the defects of each specimen carefully, 
and deciding after this close study, what bird in each class — 



OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY. PIGEONS 69 

cock, hen and youngster— is the best all-around White King. 
At this time forget that you own the birds. Judge them as 
they will be judged by the man who hangs the ribbons at 
the show. 

Discard all birds with pinched breast, narrow body or those 
showing a "knock-kneed" tendency; all that have a long body 




WHITE KING 

or long tail or long head and beak; those specimens in which 
the eye cere (bare flesh around the eye that separates it from 
the feathers of the head) is white or pale pink color, and all 
birds with feathers or down on legs or feet. 

The full-breasted, blocky, wide backed, broad-tailed White 
King is the ideal to earnestly strive for, not only in exhibition 
birds, but for utility specimens as well. The latter will produce 
plump, attractive squabs more rapidly and more economically 
than long-bodied, long-tailed White Kings. Bear in mind that 



70 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

it requires four times as much nourishment to grow featliers 
than meat, and long feathered, long bodied squabs are rarely 
plump-breasted. 

The head of the White King male should be rather large and 
broad, with a round, full skull and prominent forehead. No 
characteristic, except the unsightly long body recently referred 
to, so greatly detracts from the knightly appearance of the 
White King male as a small insignificant head. The eyes are 
large, prominent, and of reddish-brown or dark hazel color. 
The cere is of medium size, perfectly round, fine in texture, the 
same color as the beak, with a light frosting of white on the 
upper surface. 

As the eye of the White King appears almost black in color 
from a short distance, the narrow band of red that encircles 
the eye (forming the beet-red cere) adds just- the touch of color 
needed to beautify and brighten the white plumage of thp i^ead. 
Birds with white or pale colored ceres look commonplace in 
comparison. 

Until the adoption of the standard of the American White 
King Association, it sometimes happened that White Kings with 
a few feathers on their feet were awarded prizes at the exhibi- 
tions. Permitting birds with this serious defect, even though 
they were of excellent type in other sections, to win any prize 
at an exhibition, was a blunder the evil effects of which are 
revealed at most inopportune times. The only way to produce 
clean-legged, exhibition White Kings is to breed from a cock 
and hen of line-bred, clean legged ancestry. Obtain your flock 
of show birds from a few pairs of pedigreed stock that produce 
red-cered, clean- legged youngsters of blocky type, rather than 
from a large flock of breeders of various types and character- 
istics. The birds with feathers on their feet are usually sold 
"utility stock," and for this purpose are equally satisfactory and 
less expensive than exhibition stock. A "knock-kneed" White 
King is only fit to eat. Stout legs and long, straight toes increase 
the stability and add to the appearance of any bird. 

The plumage is very close, short, smooth and firm. Looseness 
of feathers is a serious defect. The web, quill and fluff of the 
feathers in all sections is pure white. 

The wings are comparatively short, well folded, ending con- 
siderably in front of and resting on the tail. The front of the 



OTHER BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 



71 



wing (wing butt) is embedded in the plumage of the breast. 
Covering the fronts of the wings with the breast feathers 
obliterates that racy frontal appearance seen on all varities of 
Homers. The records of the White Kings are not made in the air. 

Exceptionally large or small specimens are undesirable. Ex- 
liibition White Kings should weigh 24 ounces for hens, and 
26 ounces for cocks. It is unwise to breed from cocks or hens 
considerably over or under these weights. 

That the standard of the White King as adopted by the 
American White King Association pleases not simply the lover 
of the beautiful in pigeons, but the practical, money-making 
squab producer who ships extra select squabs to a fancy trade, 
it is only necessary to refer to the unprecedented growth of the 
White King in popularity. It has completely substantiated its 
right of recognition as a handsome show^ pigeon for tlie fancier, 
and as a rapid producer of twelve-pound, plump breasted, white 
Heshed squabs in- the lofts of those who have investigated its 
claims. It is a breed of deeds, not of words, a breed which 
typifies the American standard of industry, a beloved king 
among pigeons, a White King whose kingdom is ever increasing." 

CROSS BREEDS 

I'he average beginner in the pigeon business undertakes to 
establish, create (or manufacture might be a better word) a 
squab-producing pigeon according to his own architectural de- 
signs. Crossing breeds of pigeons is waste of time even ny 
people who understand what they want to accomplish and have 
an Idea as to the results of different crossing, for it takes years 
to develop a hybrid into a bird that will perpetuate itself in size, 
type, color, and qualities. Besides, it requires hundreds, yes, 
thousands of pigeons, a large outlay of capital, ample room and 
equipment, constant attention and endless patience. Even with 
all this the outcome is a gamble. How, then, can an inexpe- 
rienced person, with a vague knowledge of what he wants to 
accomplish, with a few birds and no equipment, expect to con- 
vert himself, like magic, into a Darwin or a "Pigeon Burbank?" 

This not only applies to beginners, but often to people who 
have been plodding along for years in the pigeon business with 
a few birds of first this and that variety. That some breeds are 



72 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



better and superior to others goes without saying, but even an 
inferior breed, in my opinion, is better than newly-created 
crosses. With the former, one at least knows the kind he has, 
while with the latter it is a continuous grope in the dark. 

Why experiment with crossing breeds? I have asked many 
people this question and this is the general run of answers: 
"We wanted to see what a Carneau-Homer or a Carneau- White 
King or a Carneau some other breed would produce." 

In many cases they had the result of the cross there to show 
me, and invariably they were much disappointed with the hy- 




SQUAB BREEDING CROSSES 



brids produced. Another common answer to my question is: 
"We wanted to improve the size of our stock of this or that breed 
so we are crossing the Runt with them." Other people had, 
so they said, a few birds that the color was not just what they 
wanted so threw them into a pen of mixed breeds; and this is 
their reason for crossing. Others were trying to raise a dozen 
or more breeds without sufficient room to raise one, and were 
allowing these different breeds to cross and re-cross as they 
pleased. 

A hybrid generally carries the color of one parent, the shape 
and type of the other and the poor qua-lities of both. To 



OTHER BREE^DS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 73 

illustrate: The color of a Carneau is very strong and predomi- 
nates in its offspring when crossed with birds of almost any other 
color or breed. For instance, a red Carneau and white bird of 
another breed will invariably produce a red hybrid with more or 
less blue and slate feathers on it. Often the whole tail will be dark 
blue or almost black, with the rest of the body red or a reddish 
brown. The offspring will, of course, show some of the Carneau 
characteristics besides the red feathers, but all such hybrids 
that I have ever seen resemble their other-than-Carneau an- 
cestors in the shape of the head and general type. As an exam- 
ple, the Homer-Carneau cross is generally under size, has a flat, 
snake-like Homer head, and a longer bill, but not as thick as 
the Homer bill. A Runt-Carneau cross will have a long body, 
short neck and legs like a Runt, with a Runt tendency to drag 
its wings, while a Carneau-Maltese cross will show up just the 
opposite, with a short body, long neck and legs, and a tendency 
to carry its tail high, a la Maltese. 

All these and other Carneau crosses that I have seen are 
generally red with more or less slate or blue feathers on them, 
and none of them are as good as the pure bred Carneau for squab 
breeding purposes; so nothing is gained by crossing. 



CHAPTER V 
FEEDS AND FEEDING 

WHEN AND HOW TO FEED 

There is some difference of opinion as to tlie best time to 
feed squab producing pigeons, also as to the method of feeding. 
Some advocate open feeding troughs, others use self-feeders, 
and I have seen a few men who prefer to throw the feed on 
the floor of the squab house. The latter method is more often 
used by the breeders of a few fancy pigeons and it is probable 
that the squab raisers who use this method borrowed it from the 
fancy pigeon men. 

Those who practice throwing the grain on the floor, generally 
feed three times a day, as much as the birds will eat up clean, 
at the time they are being fed. Those that use self-feeders gen- 
erally fill their hoppers once a day with enough grain to last 
until next filling time, and those that use open troughs, as a 
rule, feed their birds twice a day. This is the plan more 
universally used by squab producers. There are objections, 
however, to all these plans. The objection to throwing the grain 
loose on the floor is that some of it will invariably be left and 
eaten later, and while laying on the dirty floor is apt to sour or 
spoil and give the brids canker. Another objection to this plan 
is the boldest and most hoggish birds will gorge themselves 
leaving little or nothing for the more timid ones. Another ob- 
jection is it reciuires too much time with a large plant to go 
around to each nest room and wait while the birds are feeding 
and see just how nauch they will clean up. Then, too, with this 
method, it is necessary to feed three times a day, in order that 
the males can get food, early in the morning, with which to feed 
their young; at noon the birds must be fed again so that the 
females that are off the nest at that time will have a chance to 

74 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 75 

get something to eat; and another feed is necessary at night so 
that the males may again feed their squabs. 

I have been told that twice a day was all that was necessary 
with this method, as females that were sitting will soon learn 
to fly off the nest at feeding time and eat along with the other 
birds, but my observation and experience has been that females 
will not stay off the nest long enough to get a sufficient amount 
to eat. They will, if they are hungry, fly down, but they will 
just -stay long enough to pick up a few grains and then fly 
back to the nest. Pigeons do not like to let their eggs stay 
uncovered for even a short period of time. As proof of this, when 
the male takes the place of the female on the nest in the morn- 
ing, and when the female again relieves the male in the after- 
noon, the bird on the nest will not get from over the eggs until 
its mate is on the nest by its side; one will slip off the nest as 
the other one slips on, allowing practically no lapse of time in 
the operation. It is unnatural for pigeons to leave the nest 
for something to eat as is the habit with chickens. 

Self-feeders have never proven a success. No feeder has so 
far been perfected that will force the birds to eat the grain as it 
comes out of the hopper. While pigeons require several kinds 
of grain, they like some kinds better than others. Therefore, 
they pick out the choice kind first. This will leave the kind 
they like least or the undesirable grain uneaten and this uneaten 
grain will soon choke up the feeder. 

You might figure that when the birds are hungry enough they 
will eat up this less desirable kind of grain that has choked 
the feeder, and that would automatically make room for the 
new supply of the regular mixture, but such is not the case, for 
))irds, by actual test, will not do so. Furthermore, one day the 
feeder will be choked with one kind of grain and another day 
witli another, according to the appetites of the birds on different 
days. With an open trough, when grain is left one day the 
birds will invariably eat it up in the next day, especially if a 
smaller portion is given them. Of course, if one particular kind 
of grain keeps accumulating, the mixture can be changed and 
the portion of that kind be reduced. 

Where there are more than one pen of birds being kept, a good 
plan is to carry the grain left over from one nest room to another. 



76 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

For instance, birds in one nest room will leave wheat, while 
kaflr com will be left in another, and still another will have 
all the grain cleaned up, so the left over wheat or kafir corn 
can be switched over to the pens where there was none of that 
particular kind left, and then the regular mixture of feed poured 
on top of it. Open troughs that are placed in the nest room must 
be protected in some way to keep birds from perching on the 
edge of the trough and fouling the grain. 

As to the best kind of feed trough, it depends on the construc- 
tion of the nest room. If the Eggleston plan of nest room con- 
struction is followed, feeding boxes or feeding troughs can be 
placed in the aisle outside of the nest room, which will prevent 
the birds from fouling the grain and at the same time place the 
troughs where they are easily accessible and can be quickly 
filled or emptied and cleaned. All pigeons have a habit of 
throwing the grain out of the trough, which causes considerable 
waste. They do this while hunting for choice kinds of grain. 
The troughs, therefore, should be built in a way to prevent as 
much of this waste as possible. 

The aisle feeding trough, you will note, is built with the two 
ends and the back higher than the front. This is done to pre- 
vent the birds from throwing the grain out, and if the feed 
trough is in the aisle the feed thrown out can be easily swept up 
and used over again. By personal experience and the experience 
of others, I find that birds should be fed twice a day, early in the 
morning and at noon. 

There are several important things to take into consideration 
when feeding birds, viz.: to supply feed for squabs ten days 
old or older, which is carried to them principally by the male 
bird; to supply feed for squabs under ten days, which is carried 
to them by both male and female, but principally by the female; 
to supply feed for maintenance of the male and female that 
have no squabs; for the maintenance of the young birds in the 
loft that receive little or no feed from their parents; to supply 
feed to the female that has eggs or very young squabs, causing 
her to remain on the nest the greater part of the day. 

The female sits on the eggs at night and until nine or ten 
o'clock in the morning, and again takes her place on the nest 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 77 

about three or four o'clock in the afternoon. If feea is given 
morning and night, the males and non-setting birds will eat up 
the best portion and choice grain, while the female is on the 
nest, and when they come off for their feed and recreation, in 
the middle of the day, they will find nothing but picked over 
and refused grain and generally not enough of that. When the 
female is sitting, she needs good, choice, rich food. Therefore, 
by feeding at noon time, when the female is off the nest, she 
will get what she needs in the way of feed. 

There should be enough grain given at the noon feed to last 
over until night. This will give the males an opportunity of 
feeding their squabs after they come off the nest at three or 
four o'clock in the afternoon. The females will also have a 
chance to do some feeding in the middle of the day, which will 
produce larger and fatter squabs than if the female has to 
hustle for her own feed. This will compel her to leave the bulk 
of the feeding to the male. The birds should be given all they 
will eat up clean at the morning feed and a little left over for 
the youngsters in the loft, which, being less a^jgrcssive and 
weaker than the older birds, are crowded away from the trough 
and have to depend more or less upon what is left. 

The males will eat up the choicest grain in the morning first. 
Then tbey take a drink of water and fly to the nest and feed their 
squabs. This will give the squabs the best and most fattening 
food. The food that is left for the old birds will be sufficient in 
strength for them. The earlier the birds are fed in the morning, 
the better. They generally get up at daylight, and if there is any 
grain left over in the trough, from the day before, they will clean 
that up and be waiting for more feed, regardless of how early 
you might get up to feed them. 

WHAT TO FEED 

Pigeons are strictly vegetarians. They eat grain and seed 
principally, with a little green stuff, such as grass, clover, 
lettuce or Swiss chard. They are very particular as to the 
quality of the grain, especially birds that are kept in fly pens. 
Bad or spoiled grain is apt to make them sick. 

The first opinion of the average person who knows nothing 
about pigeons, is that they are like a chicken with reference 



78 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

to eating; that is, they think a pigeon will eat and thrive on 
anything, including scraps and slop. About the only scraps 
from the table that a pigeon will eat is crumbs of bread, and 
bread is all right for them because it is a grain product, but 
too much bread is physicing. 

The average person \\'ho knows a little about pigeons is gen- 
erally of the opinion that most any kind of grain will do, and 
that an assortment of grain is not necessary. Then we have 
the other extremists who believe that pigeons should have a 
larger assortment of grain than is necessary. The latter class 
is generally confined to a person who has a few high grade 
fancy pigeons, and through his desire to obtain the best possible 
results, regardless of expense, he feeds his birds an assortment 
of expensive grain and seeds, but I have not noticed that their 
pigeons thrive any better than those which receive a small 
assortment of cheaper grain. 

There are several ways to err in feeding pigeons, namely: To 
overfeed, to underfeed, to feed too expensive, and too great a 
variety of grains; to feed an assortment of grains that are too 
light in food values, and to feed too small a variety of grains, 
or grains that are not sufficiently strong in food values. 

Then one can make a mistake by feeding too great a portion 
of certain grains, wheat for instance, which will, if fed in too 
great a quantity, cause bowel trouble. A well balanced feed 
scientifically proportioned is without question the best for not 
only pigeons, but animals of all kinds, including people. But 
such a thing is not always practical, and as several combina- 
tions of three or four different grains can be selected that will 
be almost a balanced feed, you will not go far wrong by the 
latter method, which is not hard to follow. 

Three or four kinds of grain is all that is really necessary to 
feed pigeons, but care should be taken to see that the grain is 
of a good quality, and that the assortment contains about the 
right percentage of the different food values. 

For the benefit of those who do not care to make a study of 
this question, I will give below a few simple formulas or combi- 
nations of three or four different grain assortments that contain 
about the right proportions in food values, also specifying grains 
that can be substituted for the different kinds mentioned. 

Here are some of the combinations of cheap grains that can 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 79 

be depended upon to give fairly good results, and which can 
generally be secured in most any section of the country for 
reasonable prices: 

Kafir com, 3 parts; whole corn, 4 parts; wheat, 3 parts; Can- 
ada peas, 2 parts. 

Buckwheat, 1 part; kafir com, 3 parts; whole corn, 4 parts; 
Canada peas, 2 parts. 

Wheat, 3 parts; cracked corn, 1 part; whole corn, 3 parts; 
Canada peas, 2 parts. 

Millet, hemp and sunflower seeds can be added to any of the 
above combinations in portions of V2 P^^'^ to 3 parts wheat, and 
4 parts corn. 

Milo maize of feterita is practically the same as kafir corn, 
and either of these two grains can be substituted for kafir corn 
in part or in whole. All three are splendid pigeon feed, and 
birds should be given all they will eat of these grains. 

If Canada peas are not available or too expensive, they can 
be substituted with cow peas, peanuts or soy beans. Pigeons, 
however, do not take very quickly to soy beans, and will have 
to be educated to eat them, and the same is true of peanuts, 
but they will learn to eat peanuts much quicker than they 
will soy beans. 

Wheat, kafir corn and corn should be made the basis in this 
country of all pigeon feeds, as each of these grains are generally 
obtainable at reasonable prices. 

Your pigeons will to a large degree act as a barometer, so to 
speak, as to the proper proportions of wheat, kafir com and 
corn that they should be fed, provided you notice which one 
of these grains they leave in the trough in the largest quantity. 

Pigeons, if hungry, will eat all the wheat, corn and kafir 
com you give them, even if it is not in the right proportion, but 
they will first eat these grains in about the proportion they 
should have, and then if hungry eat the balance of the kind 
that was over in proportion. 

This is also true with millet, buckwheat and sunflower seeds, 
but is not true with hemp, peas or peanuts, as pigeons will eat 
more of these articles than is good for them, until they get 
stalled by an oversupply of rich food, as a child would candy 
or nuts. 



80 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

A good practice when feeding a small assortment of cheap 
grain, is to change the feed combination slightly once or twice 
a week. Some breeders switch from one combination to another 
daily; for instance, wheat, kafir corn and peas one day, and 
wheat, milo maize, corn and peanuts the next day. 

Corn is the one grain that contains the largest per cent of the 
different essential food values for pigeons. 

Kafir corn, milo maize and feterita contain about the same 
food value as corn, and each contains more of the different 
essential food values than any other grain. Each of these 
grains constitute almost a balanced food, and either could be 
fed alone for a short period and for a longer period by adding 
a small portion of peas, or pea substitute. 

Cracked corn is not as good as whole corn for pigeons, but 
is necessary in the al)sence of kafir corn, milo maize or feterita 
when pigeons have young squabs to feed, as squabs less than 
a week or ten days old can not take whole grain corn. Squabs 
can swallow whole corn easily after they are ten days old. 
There is no danger of squabs getting choked on whole corn, 
for their throats are larger than the opening in their beaks, 
and they can swallow anything that they can get in their mouths. 

COMPOSITION OF PIGEON FEED 

If one cares to go into the question of the composition of feed 
in a scientific way much benefit can be had by studying care- 
fully the relative values of the different articles of feed suitable 
for pigeons, but even a sight knowledge gained by a hurried 
reading of the following facts will prove beneficial as well as 
interesting. To start with, I will quote from an article written 
by Mr. Jas. P. Kinnard: 

"The feed of herbivorous animals, poultry and pigeons, con- 
tains the same four groups of substances found in the body, 
towit: (1) Water; (2) Ash; (3) Protein (or nitrogenous nutri- 
ents); (4) Fats; and in addition thereto they also contain another 
class of nutrients called (5) Nitrogen-free extracts, mostly carbo- 
hydrates, which is, by far, the most plentiful feed contained 
in nearly all grains and vegetable feeds. Thus it will be seen 
that there is no element contained in the animal body similar 
to the nitrogen free extracts, or carbohydrates, the most plenti- 
ful of all material contained in seeds and grains." 



FEEDS AND FEEDING '81 

Nutrients 

The groups of food materials are called nutrients. To a 
certain extent, at least, these nutrients may replace one another, 
although no nutrient can take the place of protein for building 
tissuo and preparing waste of nitrogenous materials in the body. 
The fats and carbohydrates perform similar functions, and 
to a large extent, carbohydrate materials may replace fat in 
the food, even when a large fat production is demanded of the 
animal. 

To supply food in the right proportions to meet the various 
requirements of the body, without a waste of food nutrients, 
constitutes scientific feeding. 

Analysis of Feed Stuffs 

A complete analysis of feed stuffs gives in percentages the 
contents of water, ash, protein, nitrogen, free extracts (mainly 
carbohydrates), and fats. 

Water 

Water, or moisture, is more or less contained in all feed stuffs, 
but being more than ordinary water, it has no special nutritive 
value. The more water a feed stuff contains, however, the less 
of the other nutritives it contains, and the more liable it is to 
injury by heating, souring, or molding. The water contents 
of feeds vary. In grains and other concentrates it runs from 
about 7 per cent to 12 per cent but larger in fresh grains. 

Nutritive Ratio 

The nutritive ratio is the proportion of digestible protein to 
digestible non-protein, but, as heretofore stated, I shall not enter 
into the digestibility of feeds, except to a very limited extent, 
for fear of making the subject appear too intricate and difficult 
of understanding, and confusing to the reader. In calculating 
the digestibility of feeds, as practically all pigeon feeds have 
about the same proportion of digestibility, I shall give only the 
total content of each element, as shown by chemical analysis. 

In calculating the nutritive ratio, the percentage of fats (either 
extract), is multiplied by 2^, and to this product is added the 
sum of the percentages of nitrogen-free-extract (hereinafter 
called carbohydrates), and crude fiber, and this total is divided 
by the percentage of protein, which gives the nutritive ratio. 



82 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

To illustrate: If a feed stuff contains 15 per cent protein, 4 per 
cent fats, 70 per cent carbohydrates, and 3 per cent crude fiber. 
The percentage of fats, 4, multiplied by 2^ gives 9, to which 
product is added the sum of the percentages of carbo-hydrates 
and crude fiber. Seventy and 3, gives 82, which, divided by the 
percentage of protein, 15, gives a nutritive ratio of 1:5.5, nearly, 
a very fine ratio for pigeons, by the way. 

The percentage of fat is multiplied by 2^ times as much 
nourishment as the same percentage of carbohydrates and crude 
fiber combined. 

Ash 

Ash is the material left after the consumption of a feed stuff 
with fire, and consists chiefly of lime, magnesia, potash, soda, 
iron, chlorin, and carbonic, sulphuric, and phosphoric acids^ — 
substances largely used in the formation of bones. As a rule 
a ration composed of a variety of feeds contains sufficient ash, 
or mineral, to supply the body of animals, but this is not 
altogether true with that of poultry and pigeons. They must 
be supplied with a good health grit. 

Corn is very deficient in ash, and when fed alone to pigeons, 
it becomes necessary to add ash materials, such as are contained 
in the specially prepared pigeon health grits, composed, usually, 
of granite grit, sharp sand, ground shells, salt, charcoal, and 
other ingredients containing medicinal properties, to assist in 
grinding the food in the crop, in making egg shell, and in 
addition thereto to assist in keeping the body in a good, thrifty, 
healthy condition; and the addition of ash in the materials men- 
tioned is of the utmost importance to pigeons in confinement. 

Corn is good feed, as corn is usually the most plentiful of 
feeds, but, being largely composed of carbohydrates and fats, 
it cannot be safely fed alone to animals, poultry, or pigeons, 
because it is deficient in some of the most important elements 
necessary for the maintenance of the body, as protein and ash. 

Protein 

Protein in food is that constituent, or nutrient, that forms 
lean flesh, muscle, ligaments, hair, wool, feathers, most of the 
internal organs, and other portions of the body, and is most 
important food to be fed, as well as being the most expensive. 
It furnishes material for flesh and replaces the wear and tear 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 83 

of the body. Besides furnishing material for tissue, it also con- 
tains carbon and may be burned to form heat and energy, or 
serve as a source of fats or carbohydrates in the materials fed, 
containing a deficiency of such nutrients and an excess of 
protein; but the production of fat, heat, and energy with protein 
is very expensive. Therefore, as protein substances are alw^ays 
the most expensive feeds, it never pays to feed an excess of 
protein, such as is contained in cotton seed meal to cattle, beef- 
scraps to chickens, and peas or scrap peanuts to pigeons. Be- 
sides, an excess of protein is really injurious, producing an en- 
largement of the liver, and a plethoric condition of the system, 
generally. 

For these reasons, feeds very rich in protein should not be 
fed alone, nor in too great proportions. 

Fats and Oils 

Fats and oils are used in the animal body as a source of fat 
and also to furnish heat and energy. Animals require heat to 
keep the body warm and energy to run the animal mechanism, 
and do outside work. The beating of the heart, eating, breath- 
ing, movement of the intestines, and the muscular movements, 
such as the head, arms, legs, wings, require energy furnished 
by the burning, or oxidation of fats, carbohydrates, or protein, 
one pound of fat in the feed being equivalent to 2^/4 pounds 
of carbohydrates. 

Value o£ Fats 

Fat ranks next to protein in value as a food element, or nu- 
trient. The more protein and fat a certain class of feed stuff 
contains, the better the quality, as compared with other feed 
stuffs of the same class. Peanuts containing 58 per cent protein 
and fats combined is more valuable than peanuts containing 
only 48 per cent protien and fats combined. Two feed stuffs 
of different kinds cannot, however, always be compared on the 
basis of their protein and fat contents alone, for other factors 
must be considered. 

Crude Fiber 

Crude fiber is that part of vegetable feeds that resists the 
action of acids and alkalis, and consists mainly of the cell walls 
the woody fiber. It is the most indigestible part of food pro- 



84 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

ducts. The hays and fodders contain large quantities of crude 
fiber, while as a rule, seeds, grains, and other concentrated feed 
stuffs contain only a very small proportion of crude fiber. This 
element is, therefore, of but little importance in the consideration 
of feed stuffs for pigeons, their food consisting almost entirely 
of grains and other concentrated feed stuffs, containing but very 
small proportion of crude fiber. Hence, crude fiber enters but 
very little into the consideration of pigeon feeds, but they should 
contain only small proportions of crude fiber. Barley contains 
considerable crude fiber, on account of the husk remaining on 
the seed, and this explains why pigeons do not like barley 
very much. 

Carbohydrates 

Nitrogen-free extracts (mostly carbohydartes), meaning feeds 
free from nitrogen, or protein, are composed of starch, sugar, 
dextrin (gum), and other substances of a similar nature, and 
are mostly carbohydrates, containing carbon, hydrogen, and 
oxygen, and is the most plentiful of all nutrients contained in 
grains and other feed stuffs suitable for pigeons. 

Value of Carbohydrates 
Most concentrated feed stuffs, consisting of grains, such as 
corn, milo maize, kafir, feterita, wheat, buckwheat, rye, barley, 
millet and rice, are carbohydrates and composed largely of 
starches, sugars, and dextrin (or gums) and are easily digested 
and of great advantage to the animal body; while, on the other 
hand, the nitrogen-free extracts contained in wheat bran, corn 
bran, corn cobs, peanut hulls, hay, fodder, etc., are composed 
of other materials than starch, sugar and gums, and are of less 
value as feed stuffs. Therefore, the carbohydrates, or nitrogen- 
free extracts of these two kinds of feed stuffs cannot be compared. 

Utilization of Foods 
When food is digested, there are considerable losses due to 
undigested food, to losses as gases, and to the work involved 
in digestion. The remainder represents the net value of the food 
to the animal or bird. This net food value is the nourishment 
secured from food, after deducting all losses involved in the 
process of digestion. This net nutriment must first be used for 
taking care of the bodily needs, and the excess, if any, can then 
be used for productive purposes. 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 85 

The needs of pigeons may be grouped into two classes: (1) 
tissue building materials, for building or repairing tissue con- 
sumed during the life process, and (2) energy forming materials, 
which may be used for heat and energy, or stored up as fat. 
Protein is the only constituent of food that can be used to repair 
animal tissue, to build lean meat. It is required in compara- 
tively small amounts for full grown pigeons, except when they 
are feeding a pair of big husky squabs, for squabs are rapidly 
growing tissue, and require large c{uantities of protein. 

Hence, while mature pigeons, not mated or working, that is, 
raising and feeding their squabs, require only small quantities 
of protein, yet when raising sc{uabs, the old pair must be fed 
sufficient ciuantities of "food to sustain animal heat and energy 
and repair waste tissue in their own bodies and, in addition 
thereto, to furnish the necessary material to raise a pair of 
squabs that will in four weeks' time nearly equal the weight 
of their parents. To enable them to do this, the mated pairs 
should be fed a ration containing a large proportion of protein, 
and consequently a narrow nutritive ratio. Hence, practically 
all grains are more or less deficient in protein. There is an 
absolute necessity for feeding pigeons a liberal ration of such 
protein feeds as Canada field peas, scrap peanuts, or soy beans. 

Protein is utilized in building the lean meat and assists in 
making the frame of the squab, while the fats and carbohydrates 
furnish the fat which keeps its body warm, and furnishes the 
energy to run its animal mechanism. 

TABIcE OP POOD ANALYSIS 

From the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 





Water 


Ash 


Protein 


Fibre 


Carbo- 


Fat 




per cent 


per cent 


per cent 


per cent 


hydrate 


per cent 












per cent 




Buckwheat 


. . . 12.6 


2.0 


10.0 


8.7 


64.5 


2.2 


Cow Peas . 


11.9 


3.4 


23.5 


3.8 


55.7 


1.7 


Corn .... 


... Iv.O 


1.5 

4.5 


10.5 
21.0 


2.1 
18.0 


69.6 
16.9 


5.4 


Hemp Seed 


9.0 


30.6 


Kaffir 


.. . 12.5 


1.5 


10.5 


2.1 


70.5 


2.9 


Maize 


... 12.0 


1.4 


11.0 


3.0 


69.7 


2.3 


Feterita . . . 


. . . 11.5 


1.3 


13.0 


2.0 


67.4 


2.7 


Wheat 


. . . 10.5 


1.8 


11.9 


1.8 


71.9 


2.1 


Millet 


.. . 12.1 


2 8 


10.0 


8.1 


62.6 


3.5 


Peas 


... 15.1 


2.4 


23.7 


7.9 


50.2 


0.8 


Peanuts . . . 


... 7.5 


2.4 


27.9 


7.0 


15.6 


39.6 


Soy Beans . 


7.7- 


5.7 


35.4 


4.S 


21.6 


20.3 


Sunflower Seed 8.6 


2.6 


16.3 


29.9 


21.4 


21.2 



86 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



GRAINS AND SEEDS 



The following description of the various grains and seeds f(Hl 
to pigeons is from the pen of J. W. Williamson, the noted Red 
Cross Grit man of Glasshoro, N. J.: 

Kafir Corn 

Kafir corn is hecoming quite popular with squab raisers, and 
takes the place of Indian corn to a certain extent. While its 
properties are not equal to Indian corn, yet at the same time it 
makes a nice change, and is not a great deal below the rich fats 
and protein given to Indian corn. One thing in its favor is, it 
is not as binding as Indian corn, or as loosening to the bowels 
as wheat. For pigeon food I class it between Indian corn and 
wiieat. 

It derives its name from a South African tribe known as 
Kafirs, not Kaffir, as will be noticed in pigeon literature. 

The dictionaries, on the other hand, the Century, for example, 
gives preference to the single "F." Government officials after 
carefully looking the matter up also adopted the single 'T." 

It was first grown in the United States in 1886. There are a 
great many varieties. The most common seen in the markets 
are the white and red, which are grown all over the United 
States where Indian corn is raised. The most of it is raised in 
the western states, between the Mississippi River and the Rocky 
Mountains. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska produce 
more of it than other states, from which western feed merchants 
draw their supply. Farmers in the western states state they 
can grow it with greater success than Indian corn, as it stands 
the blight better. There is little difference in the nourishing 
qualities of the white and red, but the latter is most prolific. 
It is about the size of hemp seed and the shape is round. To 
our customers raising their own feed, we will cheerfully give 
full directions how to raise their own Kafir corn, or any other 
pigeon food grown in this country. Milo Maize and Feterita 
are about the same as Kafir corn, also Egyptian corn which is 
grown in California. 

Indian Corn 

When buying corn the purchaser usually asks for yellow 
corn, or Poor Man's com (the white variety), but with these 



t^EEDS AND FEEDING S7 

two grains there is over 273 yellow varieties and 217 of the white. 
For feeding animals and birds it does not matter very much 
which particular variety is used as there is a very little differ- 
ence in the amount of protein and fats. The yellow varieties, 
however, are mostly used. The corn used for pigeons should be 
sifted cracked corn. If the cracked corn is not sifted there is 
considerable waste as the fine meal will not be eaten by the 
birds. 

Wheat 

There are as many varieties of wheat as there are corn, and 
in purchasing same, you are apt to get one variety one time and 
another at another, and yet not know the difference. 

In fact, it makes no difference as far as feeding is concerned, 
but a wide difference in being prolific and profitable to the 
farmer. Under this heading all tlie varieties will be classed as 
two, the same as the Kafir corn, red and white, but the latter 
wheat should not be used as pigeon food regularly. When it 
is used, mix in other hard grain; also, when using new red 
wheat, mix in hard grain and watch the squabs. If too loosening 
to the bowels reduce the amount. Rice will be found very good 
to feed along with new grain. 

Wheat Screenings 
These are very good, providing you can secure good screen- 
ings. If you can you will find them a most excellent pigeon 
food; containing besides wheat, various other grains and seed, 
which are very healthful for pigeons, ])ut avoid poor quality. 

Scorched Wheat 

This should nevei' be fed to jjigcons. At present tliere seems 
to be a great many poultry men buying it from the Baltimore 
market — some dealers in wheat also mix it with good wheat 
that is being sold as poultry feed. When buying wheat mal^e 
your purchases from the mill — the farmer, or reliable supply 
houses. 

Peas 

There are quite a number of varieties of peas. Pigeons will 
eat moist any variety but Canada peas are by far the be::t regu- 
lar food for pigeons. They are a very small pea, being perfectly 



88 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

round and smooth, of a light yellow color, and always very hard, 
and can he used shortly after taken from the vine. Pigeons de- 
light in eating them, and bring their squabs along in fine condi- 
tion. They are grown the same as the ordinary garden pea. 
They can be grown anywhere the garden peas are grown and 
even in colder climate than the garden peas will stand. 
What is known as Cow peas or blackeyed peas is also a splendid 
pigeon food and often are much cheaper than Canada peas. 

Rice 

There are over 160 varieties of rice. It is an excellent food 
for pigeons, to be fed with wheat. It is raised principally in 
the southern states, where rice can be purchased at a reasonable 
price. A great deal of it can be used for feed, especially where 
lots can be bought that have a little chaff in, and not suitable 
tor table use. Pigeons do not take to it at once but after a few 
meals take to it more readily. 

Oats 

Oats are very nourishing and preferable even to peas. The 
price is the main drawback in using them, but when they can 
be secured at a reasonable price, they should be fed as nothing 
will bring along squabs as rapidly as hulled oats. Oats that 
are not hulled should never be fed. 

Barley 

Those that do use it with hulls on do so merely because it is 
cheap, but cheap foods *should not play a part in squab raising, 
as it means cheap squabs. 

Buckwheat 

Buckwheat, either the dark brown, or gray, is used by many 
squab raisers, but it should not be fed in large quantities, and 
not much of it in summer, as it is very heating. Mix it with 
wheat, as if mixed with corn, both grains being very heating 
will be found to give bad results. It is a good, hard grain and is 
excellent to mix with white wheat or new red wheat, when the 
old wheat happens to be scarce. 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 89 

Hemp 

Hemp seed is very fattening and stimulating, and should not 
be used separately. The best variety is the Russian Hemp. 
Birds are very fond of it, but should not be fed too much of it. 
It is excellent during the molting season. 

Sunflower Seed 

This also should be used the same as hemp; it is even richer 
in protein than hemp. A small amount goes a great ways. 
Birds do not like it as readily as they do hemp. It is excellent 
during the molt and gives a good lustre to the feathers, and is 
an aid in shedding the old ones. 

Millet 

Millet is used as a stimulant as birds breed better when a 
small amoimt is used with other food. There are a great many 
varieties. It is used very extensively as human food in Japan, 
India and China. It is grown all over the United States, the 
most of it in states west of the Mississippi. 'It is sown broadcast. 

Golden Wonder Millet (temied by some, German Millet), is 
the variety used mostly in squab production, but all varieties 
are used. 

Rape 

Rape seed is a very small round brown seed, somewhat the 
size of millet. Pigeons are very fond of it. It is used as a dainty. 

Lentils and Vetches 

Lentils and Vetches are somewhat similar, and grow like peas. 
The former is mostly used in soups for flavoring. The pods 
only contain two flat round seeds. The lentils are mostly im- 
ported, but some are grown in Arizona and Mexico. They are 
steep in price and are only used as dainties for squab raising. 
We seldom use any. 

FEEDING BREAD TO PIGEONS 

There is little or no advantage to be gained by feeding bread 
to pigeons except from a standpoint of economy. 
Most bakeries, especially the large ones, have stale or unsold 



90 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

bread which they will sell at a bargain. One or two cents a 
loaf is the usual price this bread is sold for, but often it can be 
contracted for at a cheaper rate. 

If bread can be secured at about that price it can be fed to an 
advantage along with the regular feed or grains. Pigeons will 
not eat bread until they become accustomed to it and then only 
a limited amount. The best way to feed bread is to slice it up 
and 'et the birds pick tlie soft centers out of each slice, then 
gather up the pieces, put them in a pan of some kind and pour 
a little WQter on to soften the crusts. Let the pans of bread 
remain in the lofts for about an hour and then remove them. 
Throw away the uneaten bread as it v\dll sour if left standing, 
especially in wann weather. Care should be taken to give the 
birds no more than they will eat and in this way avoid wasting 
the bread. 

At first birds will cat but a very little bread, but the amount 
can. be increased by feeding the ni when hungry. 

If you cannol secure bread for less tlian grain costs you per 
poimd it is not worth vynile to feed it. A little bread, however, 
is not a bad thing and can be given pigeons occasionally as a 
change from a regular diet and in this way prove beneficial 
even though it costs as much as grain. At any rate, birds should 
be taught to eat bread and thus prepare for occasions when it 
might be necessary to feed it to them. 

WHAT PIGEON MILK IS 

Young squabs under three or four days old receive no grain 
from their parents. Their food consists of what is known as 
pigeon milk, a gruel substance which forms in the crops of bnth 
the male and female, ai)out 15 or 16 days after they start setting. 
It takes 17 days for pigeon eggs to hatch and by this time both 
parents are provided with this so-called pigeon milk with which 
to feed the squabs. Nature provides this pigeon milk for the 
reason that very young squabs are too delicate to receive solid 
food. The male accumulates the gruel or pigeon milk in the 
crops by the little time he sets on the nest in the middle of each 
day and the female accumulates it by a longer daily period of 
I etting. When squabs begin to get old enough to receive grain 
the parents eat smaller grain before feeding their young, and 
as the squabs grow the parent bird will eat larger grains. 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 91 

At 10 (lays old an average squa]) can receive whole grains of 
corn with no inconvenience; and right here I might add there 
is no danger of squahs hecoming choked on- whole grains or corn 
for the reason that if the space hetween the heak is large enough 
for the grain to enter it will pass into the throat and into their 
crops without difficulty. 

If you have an opportiuiity some time I would suggest that 
you take a young squah a W(»ek or 10 days old and for you- 
own curioiiity put two or three grains of corn into its mouth 
at once and you will he surprised to see how easily they will 
sli}) down its throat. 

THE HIGH COST OF FEED 



asked often if squabs can be raised profitably since the world 
war has increased the price of grain so greatly. The answer is, 
yes, pi'ovided one studies the feed situation and takes advantage 
of the local conditions by feeding more freely of the grain that 
is the cheapest in his section, but at the same time he must 
know enough about tlie values of different seeds and grain to 
enable him to feed a balanced ration. 

Prof. Frank C. Hare writing for the American Pigeon Journal, 
very ably covers this question. He states, "The present high 
prices of food stuffs make it imperative for most of us to study 
the feeding question more thoroughly than under normal price 
conditions, when we can buy at a reasonable cost almost any 
mixture of grains we fancy. We have reached the point where 
we would like to use some of the home grown grains that are 
cheaper than the imported grains we formerly fed and we want 
information about compounding a pigeon feed at home that will 
maintain the production of squabs and the health of breeders." 

Bear in mind that pigeons are more or less like children and 
are apt to eat too much of things that are not the best for them, 
Too much hemp for instance, is not good for pigeons yet they 
will eat as much as they can get and hold. But as between 
corn, wheat and other staple grains their likes and dislikes 
should be considered when same does not interfere too much 
with the cost of feed. 



CHAPTER VI 
GRIT, CHARCOAL, SALT AND WATER 

GRIT, SAND AND GRAVEL 

There are several different kinds of grit on the market for 
pigeons composed of various substances and combination of 
substances. Birds that fly at liberty have an opportunity to 
pick up many things in the way of sand, gravel, different kinds 
or dirt, roots, etc.", all of which come under the head of grit, or 
at least they are eaten by birds for that purpose. 

The small gravel, as it is commonly called, is eaten and re- 
tained in their gizzards as a part of their digestive organs with 
which the food is ground, while dry sand, clay, roots and even 
pieces of wood are eaten for the chemical substances and food 
values contained therein. 

These two forms of grit are often confused to the extent that 
sometimes one is entirely neglected with the idea that the other 
will take its place. Small gravel or various shapes of small, 
sharp stones cannot be dispensed with for reasons just stated, 
while the other substances mentioned can be substituted with 
various other articles. 

There are several kinds of health grit manufactured and sold 
that contain many of these different articles, including salt, 
sand, Venetian red, small shells, charcoal, wood pulp and certain 
kinds of dirt that are relished more or less by pigeons and are 
probably very good for them, but are often eaten only because 
the birds crave salt and the so-called health grit is generally 
salty. In such cases I do not believe the birds are benefited 
but are injured by having to eat articles they do not want in 
order to get the salt they crave. 

If the fly pen is kept strewn with fine gravel or coarse sand 
and a supply of it kept inside of the nest room for the young 

92 



GRIT, CHARCOAL, SALT AND WATER 93 

birds, and to be accessible when snow is on the ground, other 
forms of grit may not be essential, but I can see no harm in 
manufactured health grits as long as the' birds are furnished 
with plenty of salt so that they will not be forced to eat these 
substances in order to get what they want. 

Some very successful breeders supply their birds with differ- 
ent kinds of dirt and sand and by a little experim.enting they 
find just which of these articles contain what their birds like. 

The soil in different sections of the country contains different 
chemical properties. You .might be surprised to see pigeons 
eating a certain kind of dirt; if you knew the chemical proper- 
ties of this certain kind of dirt you would more nearly under- 
stand why they eat it. A piece of plowed up sod placed upside 
down in a fly pen will often furnish the birds a feast in regards 
to dirt, grass roots and other substances which you might not 
know was there. 

Certain kinds of old plaster and mortar will be eaten with 
relish by birds that are confined to fly pens. 

As a final suggestion, therefore, I would recommend that birds 
be given plenty of such articles which can be found in most any 
community and are inexpensive. If they do not eat one they Will 
probably eat another, and anything they eat, even in Very small 
amounts along this line, will prove very beneficial to their 
health, as nature seems to guide them in this respect. 

CHARCOAL 

While charcoal is probably not necessary to the life of a pigeon, 
it is a very healthy product and should be kept constantly before 
the birds. Charcoal can be secured in most any poultry supply 
house and comes in three sizes, fine, medium and coarse. The 
medium size is the best as the birds will not eat the charcoal 
dust and the coarse size is too large for them to swallow. 

Charcoal aids digestion, absorbs the impurities that birds 
might get in feed or water and contains other health giving 
properties. It should be kept in small jars in the middle of the 
nest room or in a grit hopper as described elsewhere undei* that 
heading. 

Charcoal is an extra good remedy for bowel trouble of different 
forms and is especially good to feed the old birds when young 
ones show a loosness of the bowels. 



94 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

In order to get birds to eat an extra supply of charcoal mix 
salt with it or pour salt water over the charcoal. Sometimes 
it is necessary to take other forms of salt away from the birds 
for a day or two in order to make them eat the salt and charcoal 
mixture. This is only necessary, however, in extreme cases of 
bowel trouble. The same charcoal and salt mixture should be 
kept before the young birds during weaning time and for a few 
weeks after the old birds have stopped feeding them. 

In dry weather it is not a bad plan to throw a few handfuls 
of charcoal in the fly pens, as birds seem to enjoy picking it 
up, but this is a wasteful method in wet or bad weather. 

OYSTER SHELL 

Pigeons require a certain percentage of lime substances to 
keep them healthy. Their systems require the consumption of 
lime in certain seasons of the year and under certain conditions 
more than at other times. The female, however, requires more 
lime than the male as she needs it for the manufacture of egg 
shell. Lime for this purpose must be supplied in the form of 
shells or certain lime stone. Oyster shell is probably the best, 
most convenient and usually the cheapest lime containing sub- 
stance and the one that the birds seem to like the best. Clam 
shells will do, but are not as good. Small sea shells are extra 
fine. 

Do not confuse your oyster shell with grit, however. Birds 
need grit with which to grind their food, and lime-containing 
substances do not serve this purpose. Mediumly crushed oyster 
shell should be kept before the birds at all times. It can gener- 
ally be secured in three sizes, fine, medium and coarse, at 
poultry supply houses. The coarse is too large and cannot be 
swallowed by pigeons. The fine is so small that there is a 
lot of waste to it as pigeons will not eat the dust. Hence, the 
medium is the practicable size for pigeons. 

The best way to supply oyster shell is in a small receptacle 
placed in the middle of the nest room or in a grit hopper as is 
described elsewhere under that head. 

SALT 

People who are not familiar with the habits of pigeons are 
surprised to learn that they eat salt, and especially when they 



GRIT, CHARCOAL, SALT AND WATER 95 

learn that they eat it in quantities. They require a certain 
amount of salt daily and it should be kept before them at all 
times. Do not give in loose form to birds that might be hungry 
for some, as in such cases they are liable to eat too much, which 
will make them sick or even kill them. 

A bird that is getting all the salt it wants, however, will not 
eat too much even if fed to it in loose form. Some people advo- 
cate the feeding of rock salt in large lumps. Personally I do not 
favor this plan. It is very hard for the birds to get the amount 
they desire unless the salt is wet and sometimes then they get 
it in too large quantities. If a rock of salt is placed out in the 
fly pen in rainy weather, salty water will run into the ground 
and birds in order to satisfy their appetites will eat the salty 
dirt which often is foul and very injurious to them. 

About the best way to supply salt is to artificially rock table 
salt, which can be done by first moistening and then baking it 
in a slow oven just as it comes in the sack. By tying a string 
around the center of the sack, forcing the salt to each end, it 
will turn to rock easier. These sacks should be put in the nest 
rooms just as they are and the birds can get what salt they 
need by picking right through the cloth. They will soon pick 
holes through the sack and can then easily get plenty of salt. 
The cloth will help to hold the lump together and keep it from 
getting fouled or wasted. 

If after dampening the bag of salt and drying it out in the 
oven it does not seem firm enough, dampen it again a liitie and 
bake it some more. The hotter the oven the quicker the results 
to a degree that it does not burn the sack. Homemade sacks 
filled with barrel salt will answer the same purpose. 

SULPHATE OF IRON 

Pigeons require a certain amount of iron in their systems. 
In some communities there is plenty of iron in the wa-er thai 
they drink, while m others, on account of Hiere being little or 
no iron in the water, it is necessary to supp'y ^ame either in the 
form of Venetian red or by putting old nails or iron in their 
dringing water to rusl. 

It is rather difficult to know just what action to take in this 
matter without knowing the chemical analysis of the water 



96 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

supply where the birds are kept. To a large extent, therefore 
you will have to do your owi. experimenting and be your own 
judge as to this, remembering that a liitle iron is necessary 
and that the birds will not eat moi'c than they really need, unless 
forced to do so through thirst or f(;r the wan: of salt which some 
breeders mix with Venetian red, tlius forcin:? then- ijirds to eat 
more of one article than they want in order to get a sufficient 
amount of the other. 

DRINKING WATER FOR PIGEONS 

Plenty of fresh water is one of the essentials of successful 
pigeon raising. One pigeon will drink more water than two or 
three large hens. The water must be clean, otherwise it is apt 
to cause canker or other sickness, especially so if birds are 
confined to fly pens. Pigeons that fly out are not as susceptible 
to canker as those that are kept penned up. Even cleaa water 
that stands in the nest room all night where there are a lot of 
birds is not good for them to drink, as it will draw a lot 
of impvulties out of the air and is more or less foul. I have 
visited a large number of squab plants where sm.iil drinking 
fountains are used and invariably found sick birds. Such 
fountains ought to be filled two or three times a day in order 
to supply a sufficient amount of fresh water, but better still 
a more suitable plan of furnishing water supplied. Many plants 
are so arranged that the water has to be carried some distance 
and one door after another be opened and closed, going to and 
from the different units with pails of water. A few hours' work 
on a water system will save several weeks time in a year. 
It will furnish fresh water constantly and be better in many 
ways. Even with a small number of birds a water system is a 
great advantage. 

Young squabs must have plenty of water if they are kept in 
good shape. In fact, water seems to have as much to do with 
their putting on lots of fat and growing rapidly as does feed. 

In addition to a drinking trough in the fly pen, a drinking 
trough should be run through the squab house, or along the 
back of same with openings cut through so that the birds can 
get to the trough. If running water or city water is accessible 
one faucet will supply a whole row of units with fresh drinking 
water, a barrel can be used with a dripping faucet to furnish 



GRIT, CHARCOAL, SALT AND WATER 97 

a supply of running water constantly. In freezing weather 
water can be turned on twice or three times a day for a short 
length of time while all the birds drink, and if it should freeze 
it can be thawed out by pouring a little hot water in the trough. 
By making this drinking trough V-shaped the birds can drink 
with only a small amount of water in the bottom of the trough, 
while if the trough is made with a fiat bottom it will require 
much more water to make it deep enough for the birds to drink, 
which will make it freeze easier and also consume much more 
water. 

Open drinking pans or troughs that permit birds to get into 
or perch on the sides of are not practical for pigeons, as they 
will foul the water and then drink it, which will make them 
sick. Drinking fountains that are made with a dent at the 
hvMtom are the most practical for pigeons in the absence of a 
drinking trough, but even if you have only two or three pair 
of birds it is but little trouble to make a small three-cornered 
V-shaped drinking trough to run along one side of the nest room, 
and either arrange faucets with city water or a keg with a faucet 
that can be filled up once or twice a week and the faucet turned 
on so it will drip slowly into the trough. This will supply fresh 
water constantly and save much more trouble and time than 
will be required to make the trough and arrange the keg. If 
the trough is placed inside of the nest room it should have a 
board cover with about two-inch space between the board and 
the trough which will permit the birds to drink and at the same 
time prevent them from fouling the water. 

By supplying drinking water inside the loft, as well as in the 
fly pen, it will enable the youngsters on the floor to get plenty 
to drink before they are old enough to get in the fly pen, which 
is very essential. It will also enable a female to fly down off 
her nest any time during the day and get a fresh drink while if 
the water was out in the fly pen she would not want to leave 
her nest long enough to get a drink. Then, too, during feeding 
time the birds often are afraid to spare the time to fly out in the 
fly pen to get water after they have eaten, so fly to the nest and 
feed their young and then fly back to get something more to eat 
before it is all gone, while if the water is handy inside the loft 
they will invariably take a drink before feeding their squabs, 
which is the natural and proper way for them to do. 



98 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Remember that plenty of good fresh water is one of the nec- 
essary things in pigeon raising, and a little time spent in ar- 
ranging a watering and bathing system will save hours of 
time in the long run and assure better success. 

BATHING 

Pigeons of all kinds require a bath once or twice a week. In 
extremely cold weather they will not bathe except on bright 
and sunshine days. In spring and fall they should have a bath 
once a week and during the hottest weather twice or three times 
a week, depending on the condition of the weather. Pigeons 
like to bathe on dry, sunny days so they can dry their feathers 
easily. 

Some people say that pigeons bathe every day, but upon 
investigation they will find that the same bird will not bathe 
every day, but some birds will bathe one day and others another, 
and it might seem, therefore, that the majority of the birds in 
a pen would bathe every day, but such is not the case. To 
supply a daily bath is not necessary. 

Bathing water should not stand before the birds very long 
after they bathe in it for it will become too foul to drink, and as 
birds like to drink out in the fly pen or wherever they happen 
to be, they will drink the foul water which is apt to make 
them sick. Warm water is also not good for the birds to drink 
in hot weather, as it is likely to cause sour craw. Warm water 
in the winter time, however, is good for them. Bath water 
should be provided regularly once or twice a week according 
to the season of the year. Between 12 and 2 o'clock are good 
hours for bathing, provided the sun shines. It is never advisable 
to supply pigeons with a bath late in the day as they will not 
have time to dry their feathers before night and are apt to catch 
cold if they go to roost with wet feathers. 

Bathing Troughs 

I have found that the average squab raiser loses considerable 
time carrying water and arranging for baths for birds. The 
most common plan is to have a bath pan 12 to 16 inches across 
and four or five inches deep which they set inside of the fly 
pen and carry water by hand to fill. The pan is invariably not 



GRIT, CHARCOAL, SALT AND WATER 99 

large enough for many birds to bathe at the same time. They 
will all try to get in at once and by their fluttering and anxiety 
to bathe waste a lot of the water and in a few minutes there 
is not enough left for a bird to bathe in. The water is usually 
dirty on account of being splashed over on the mud around the 
pan and birds walking in the mud get their feet muddy and 
then climb into the pan. Such an arrangement takes lots of 
work and only furnishes a poor bath. 

By a little work a bath trough can be made five inches deep, 
ten inches wide and several feet long. See article on "How 
{jo Build a Bath Trough." The trough should be placed just 
outside of the fly pen with a gate to open up on bath days. 
The birds can get to the bath only when the gate is open and 
with a little work a drinking trough can be made in connection 
with the bath trough which will permit the birds to drink when 
the gate is down. If there is more than one unit or fly pen a 
single trough can be extended along in front of several units 
and one faucet supplies the water for the entire group of pens. 

As a rule considerable time is wasted in opening gates and 
doors to get into the fly pens or nest houses to furnish water 
for drinking or bathing purposes, but with this arrangement the 
drinking and bathing trough is on the outside of the fly pen and 
^s easily accessible for filling, emptying and cleaning. 

In the winter time, in a northern climate, an outside trough 
cannot be used regularly, but on especially wai-m and sunshine 
days, when the water is not freezing, the outside bath trough 
can be filled for an hour or so in the middle of the afternoon and 
then as soon as the birds have their bath the water can be let 
out. Birds that have eggs or very small young will not bathe 
except on extremely hot days. Therefore, a trough as above 
mentioned would be ample for all the birds that wanted to 
bathe at one time and will furnish each of them a fresh clean 
bath. 

If city or running water is not available a hose can be attached 
to a pump for the purpose of filling the bath troughs, or a barrel 
can be used on a slide either pulled by hand or by a horse. 
This, of course, depends upon the distance the water is to be 
carried. Even if you only have a very few pair of squab 
breeders it will pay to arrange a trough on the outside of the 
fly pen for bathing purposes. Of course, in such a case a trough 



100 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

a coiiple or so feet long would be sufficient. But if it is your 
intention to eventually increase your flock it would be saving 
time to make a large trough at the start. These troughs should 
be made out of galvanized iron, cement or wood. If made of 
wood, they, must be coated inside with asphalt or tar to keep 
from leaking. If tar is used it should be put on hot, which will 
make it spread easier. If there are any large cracks or holes 
in the trough they should be plugged up and a couple of extra 
coatSv of tar applied to the holes or cracks and allowed to dry 
before the trough is given, a final coating. 



CHAPTER VII 
CARE or PENS, BANDING, NESTING MATERIAL 

CARE OF SQUAB PLANT 

It is not necessary to keep a pigeon plant clean to an extreme, 
but each nest should be cleaned out when vacated by squabs 
or while the squabs are still occupying the nest if they appear 
to be exceptionally dirty. If the Eggleston double nest system 
is used it is an easy matter to clean the nest by removing thei 
dirty nest bottom and replacing it with a fresh, one. If the nest 
contains squabs, a small handful of clean nesting material* 
should be put in first and the squabs put on top of it. 

It is not a good plan to clean the nests before squabs are two 
or three weeks old. If they are exceptionally dirty you should 
change your feed. Each nest room should have a thorough 
cleaning about once a month, including the sweeping of the 
floor and sprinkling it with air-slacked lime. If you. have a 
ground, cement or cold floor it is not a bad idea to cover the 
floor with a mixture of lime and sawdust, mostly sawdust, and 
just enough lime to make it clean and fresh. 

A good plan with a large plant is to do your cleaning by 
degrees, that is, to clean so many lofts every day, so that the 
time will not be missed and you will get to each loft every 
month. Of course, if you have special help for that purpose to 
come on certain days it would not be practical to have them 
come more than once or twice a week, which naturally depends 
upon the size of your plant and the capacity of your help. 

Some of the most practical squab breeders never have a gen- 
eral cleaning day. They keep house on the same plan as a 
good housekeeper by keeping everything in order, cleaning the 
dirtiest nests as they need them and sweeping out the plant 
most every day, and in this way they do not miss the time 
and the plant is always clean and orderly. 

101 



102 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

CARE OF FLY PENS 

The ground in the fly pen should be covered with coarse sand 
or gravel and then about once a week throw a couple of shovels 
of fresh sand or fine gravel m each fly pen. This will keep the 
pens clean and also furnish gravel for the birds to eat. Of 
course, in time the pens will fill up and will have to be cleaned 
out. A good cleaning once a year, however, is all that is nec- 
essary. The dirt mixed with sand and droppings that come 
from the bottom of a pigeon fly pen makes the best kind of soil 
for flowers or gardening. Care should be taken not to get the 
soil too rich. 

Pigeons will not scratch like chickens, hence will not dig up 
fresh gravel in the fly pen, so the gravel must be freshened up 
by throwing in a little fresh every few days. This will also 
keep the pen clean and sanitary. 

HOW TO BAND 

Small bands or rings are placed on the legs of pigeons as a 
mark of distinction or identification for several reasons, namely, 
to keep a record as to the age and parents of a bird; to be able 
to tell which birds are mated and to be able to tell what pen 
a bird is out of and to be able to readily distinguish male from 
female. 

The age of the bird is told by the date on what is called the 
year band. These are small narrow seamless bands and are 
made so small around that they cannot slip on or off an old 
bird's foot. They can be put on young birds only in the nest 
about two to three weeks old. When they are older than three 
weeks their feet joints are so large seamless bands will not 
slip on. These bands, however, are large enough to allow plenty 
of room for the growth of a bird's leg. 

On these seamless bands are usually a number which can be 
recorded for various purposes, such as telling from what parents 
the bird came, as proof that particular bird won or did not 
win a prize at a pigeon show, etc. These seamless bands are 
only necessary for birds that are being raised for show purposes, 
otherwise inexpensive, open or removable bands will do. 

Some breeders band their birds with two bands, one to de- 
ermine the pen or loft that they came from and the other to 



CARE OF PENS, BANDING, NESTING MATERIAL 103 

determine mated pairs, and the nest box they occupy. By 
using different color bands with numbers thereon one band on 
each bird is sufficient for both these purposes. 

There are several systems of numbering and color banding, 
but I think the following plan is easiest to keep track of and 
the most serviceable: For instance, if you have 30 pairs of birds 
in a nest room, select three color bands for that particular nest 
room. For example, white, pink and light blue, with numbers 
arranged from one to ten in each color. Band the males on the 
right leg and the females on the left, using the same number 
and color for each pair. All numbers come in duplicates so as to 
supply the same number and color for the male as for the 
female. Make a record on or over the door of the nest room 
of the band colors and numbers to be used for that pen. That 
is, write "White 1-10," "Pink 1-10," "Light Blue, 1-10." In the 
next nest room use "red," "yellow," and "green." In the next, 
"orange," "cherry," "dark blue," etc. 

There are two objects in using three colors for each pen. First, 
if you desire to find male number 6 with white band your 
number of birds in the pen that are likely to be the bird that 
you want are reduced to 9, as there are only 9 other cocks in 
the pen with white bands, while if 30 cocks in the pen had 
white bands it would be three times as difficult to find the 
desired bird. Second, by using bands of different colors you 
can keep your numbers to a small denomination, which will 
also render you service in picking out special birds, for the 
reason that single numbers, such as 1, 4, 6, etc., are much larger 
and more easy to see than double numbers, such as 13, 15, 16, 
etc., and as a rule you will find it is hard to tell the first or 
second figure where numbers in two figures are used. You can 
see one figure but will not know what the second figure is 
as it is partly on the other side of the bird's leg, or you can see 
the second figure and cannot tell what the first figure is. An- 
other thing, if a number gets a little dirty it is difficult to 
distinguish 13 from 15, 16, 18 or 19, or to tell the difference 
between 23, 25, 26, 28 or 29. These numbers look more or less 
alike when part of them are covered up with dirt, but with a 
large single figure on a band the number can be readily told 
clear across the nest room or fly pen. 



104 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

The plan of having three colors to each pen uses up the 
various colors very fast, which is about the only objection to 
this plan, but as the only advantage to be gained by having 
different colors for different pens is to be able to tell what pen 
a bird came from in case it should get loose. I do not consider 
that offsets the advantage of the three colors to the pen system. 

Besides, the pen a bird comes from can generally be told when 
a bird gets out as it will invariably be found close to the pen 
that it came from, and even with a large plant, birds banded 
with white, pink or dark blue, for instance, would be quite a 
ways from other birds banded with one of these colors. Then 
if there is any doubt a search could be made to see if the bird 
with that band number and color and of the same sex was in 
or missing from a pen. 

About the best way to band birds according to pairs is to wait 
until they start work. A female will be found on the nest early 
in the morning or late in the afternoon except when she is laying 
when she might be found on the nest any time. The male will 
be found on the nest during the middle of the day. 

When a bird is banded, mark the number of its band on the 
nest box in a conspicuous place. "U^ith a letter signify the color 
of the band after the number, "w," for white, "p" for pink, and 
"b" for blue, etc. Then, if it is a female, make a dash following 
the letter, and if a male that is banded, signify the. same by a 
straight up and down mark after the number. When both 
birds have been banded, the dash and straight up and down 
mark will form a cross. 

By this method you can look in the nest room and see at a 
glance which birds are banded, which are not, and if a female 
is banded and you are there in the morning you will know that 
it is a female by the dash following the number and letter and 
it will not be necessary to bother the bird or catch it to see which 
leg it is banded on. The same is true if a male is on the nest, 
and your marking shows that male has been banded. 

When one bird of a pair is banded take the other correspond- 
ing band and hang it on a wire in front of the nest room ready 
for use. Then you can tell by looking at the bands on the wire 
just how many birds yet unhanded. 

With my nest room plan there is an aisle between the nest 
room and fly pen and a wire partition between the nest room 



CARE OF PENS, BANDING, NESTING MATERIAL 105 

and aisle and by hanging the band on the wire on the same side 
that the nest is on it is easy to find the band for any unhanded 
bird. 

A good plan is to tack a small card on the outer edge of 
each nest on which to record band numbers of the old birds for 
that nest and the date and number of squabs that are taken 
out of each nest. An ordinary express tag makes a good card 
for this purpose. 

A better plan is to record nothing on the card at the nest box 
but the band number, color and the cross as explained above, 
then have a card or a little day book hung outside of the door 
of each nest room and record on same the band number and 
band color of each pair in that nest room. Immediately after the 
number make a monthly record of the number of squabs each 
pair produces. 

After a number of birds have been put into a nest room and 
each pair is banded for that nest room, the male on the right 
leg and the female on the left, a card tacked at the side and the 
numbers and colors of each band are recorded on the edges of 
the nest, then all of the unmated birds in that nest room should 
be removed and placed in with unmated birds for the purpose 
of securing mates, or if you are positive as to the sex of the 
birds removed it is a good plan to shut them up in pairs to 
mate as many males with as many females separately as needed 
to fill out the allotment for the nest room. 

For instance, if 60 birds were put into a nest room to start 
with, 40 birds have mated up and are banded, the remaining 
20 birds should be removed from that nest room and either 
placed in a pen with other unmated birds out of which can be 
selected pairs as fast as they mate up, banded and put back in 
the original nest room, or 10 females may be shut up with 10 
males in 10 separate mating coops and as fast as they mate up 
be banded and put back in the original nest room. The latter 
plan would be a little faster than to merely put them into a 
pen with other unmated birds as two pigeons will mate up 
quicker in a mating pen than any other way. 

If a bird dies its mate should be located and taken out and 
mated up with another bird, then banded with the same bands 
and put back in the same nest room. If a pair is taken out for 



106 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

any reason their leg bands should be removed from their legs 
and saved to be put on another pair for that pen. 

NESTING MATERIAL 

Pigeons build their own nests out of small twigs, coarse hay, 
straw, etc. Tobacco stems cut up into short lengths is the best 
material. All that is necessary is to put the nesting material 
within reach of the birds, and they will carry it to their nests 
one straw at a time. You cannot help them any or hurry them 
along by putting the material in the nest for them as they 
prefer to build their own nests. 

The value of tobacco stems for nesting material cannot be 
overestimated as the straws are about the right size, round and 
pliable and are liked by the birds. Added to these qualities the 
tobacco stems will tend to keep away lice and to keep the birds 
healthy. 

Tobacco stems can be secured from cigar factories at a small 
cost, generally 50 to 75 cents a hundred. 

The short, curly Havana stems are the best, but if these cannot 
be secured the large, coarse kind will do if cut up into lengths 
8 or 10 inches long. A good way to cut them up is with a corn 
knife, hand axe or hatchet, using a block of wood to chop them 
on. They can be cut up with a heavy pair of scissors, but this 
is a rather slow process. 

Alfalfa hay makes a splendid material for nests as it is short, 
round and pliable. Straw does not make very good nesting 
if it is used alone as it is so straight and fiat that the birds 
cannot weave it into a nest of any shape, but birds like a little 
straw along with other material to make a soft lining out of. 
Pine needles are recommended by some as good nest material 
and are also claimed to keep lice away. Having never person- 
ally used pine needles, I cannot give any definite information 
regarding them. 

Birds like an assortment of material for nest making, there- 
fore, where it is convenient it is well to give them some of 
several materials, such as prairie and alfalfa hay, wheat or oat 
straw, and tobacco stems. 

This will not only please the birds, but will also save the to- 
bacco stems and yet give them enough to act as lice preventative. 



CHAPTER VIII 
ENEMIES OF THE SQUAB PLANT 

LICE, MITES AND OTHER VERMIN 

The same lice or mites that get on chickens will also bother 
pigeons. Then there is a pigeon louse and a feather louse, but 
if pigeons are kept in a clean place, that is whitewashed two 
or three times a year, and tobacco stems are used for nesting 
material they will not be bothered by lice or vermin of any kind. 
Whitewash and lime is not only a good preventative, but it will 
destroy the lice if the house and nest are sprayed with it. 

The feather louse as a rule is harmless and does not bother 
the birds except certain times of the year. 

Mites that get in the nest and on the eggs and young ones are 
probably the most destructive and birds are apt to be bothered 
with mites some time before detecting it for the reason that 
you cannot see them on the old birds like lice, but if you examine 
your squabs you can find the mites under their wings and, as 
a rule, on the side of the head. 

If mites are discovered on small squabs the best thing to do 
is to change the nests, sprinkle the squabs with Lambert's Death 
to Lice or Persian Insect Powder. The former, however, is much 
more economical and just as effective. It can be obtained from 
almost any drug store. Dip your nest bottoms in crude oil and 
all vermin will stay out of the nests for a year or more. 

A good plan is to put a small amount of crude carbolic acid 
and a small amount of crude petroleum into the whitewash 
before using. By sprinkling dry lime on the floor of the nest 
room the birds will fly from place to place, scatter the lime all 
over the room, in fact, every little crevice will be filled with 
lime dust. Air slacked lime is the best to use, as it will not 
burn the pigeons' feet if they get it on them and then get their 
feet wet in any way. Yet it is just as strong and powerful as the 
other kind. 

107 



108 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

A little sulphur in the bathing water when birds are lousy is 
not a bad plan, provided you can get your birds to bathe in it, 
but the easiest and surest way is to keep the house well white- 
washed and to use tobacco stems for nesting material. When 
they are not convenient, or obtainable, an ordinary moth ball 
dropped in the corner of each nest box acts as good lice pre- 
ventative. 

Pigeons bathe regularly and can keep themselves clean, which 
is one reason why they are not bothered very much with lice. 

Chicken lice do not seem to stay on pigeons very long at a 
time. They are very annoying and destructive, however, during 
the period that they stay and will cause pigeons to leave their 
nests and often make them slow up in their work, besides caus- 
ing the squabs to be small and poor. So it is well to guard 
against them even though they are not a permanent nuisance. 

Should it be your misfortune to have your birds in or near 
an old chicken house, or one that is alive with lice or mites, 
and should these pests get a hold on your squab plant to such 
an extent that a mild treatment does not seem to do the work, 
you can clean the entire place of lice and mites by one gigantic 
effort if you proceed as follows: 

First take out and burn all the unused nest material, feathers 
and dirt from your squab house and the surrounding yard, then 
start in with your nest room. Dip each bird with a warm solu- 
tion of sheep dip, which is a coal tar product and can be pur- 
chased at almost any drug store. To dip the birds use a good size 
bucket with sufficient enough liquid to enable you to immerse 
the bird completely under except its head. Care should be taken 
not to get any in its eyes. As a preventative it is not a bad plan 
to grease the bird around the eyes with a little vaseline or tal- 
low. The dip should be diluted with warm water to about one- 
half the strength required by the directions. 

When dipping a bird churn it up and down a time or two 
in the liquid so that it will get completely wet clear to the skin, 
otherwise the feathers, being oily, the dip will not take hold. 
After the birds are dipped put them out in the fly pen to dry, 
providing it is a warm day. They should not be dipped except 
on warm days so that they will dry quickly. 

If the bottom of the fly pen is inclined to be dirty it is best 
to lay down a few boards for the birds to sit on while drying. 



ENEMIES OF THE SQUAB PLANT 109 

They will climb on the boards without help. Treat each old 
bird in this manner and put them all out in the fly pen, then 
have a bucket of whit -wash ready pud whitewa.-.h the mside 
of the nest room while the birds are dryih,^. Nesi.« with any 
young or eggs can be taken out during this operation. 

In order to keep from getting eggs or squabs mixed, and so 
that you may know the exact nest they belong in, it is well to 
provide some boxes to put them in, numbering the boxes to 
correspond with the nest numbers the squabs came from. Young 
squabs that cannot walk will naturally be more easily cared 
for than those that are old enough to walk and will not stay 
where you put them. 

I would advise that the old nest material be destroyed and be 
replaced with nests made of fresh material, first covering the 
bottom of the nests with air-slacked lime. A good plan is to dip 
each nest bottom, providing your nests are of the removable 
type, as they should be. 

After you have whitewashed the nest room, paint a strip six 
or eight inches wide clear around the nest room next to the 
floor with crude petroleum or coal tar thinned with gasoline. 
You can use an ordinary paint brush for this. Then shut the 
doors and windows tight and spray each nest with naptha or 
formaldehyde, the latter being the best and can be obtained 
from almost any fair size drug store. 

You should tie a sponge or wet cloth over your mouth and 
nose before spraying, as the formaldehyde is apt to make you 
feick if you breathe too much of it. The spraying can be done 
with an ordinary insect sprayer or almost any kind of an ato- 
mizer, the larger the better. 

Leave the house closed up for twenty or thirty minutes, then 
open up and let it air out before the birds are permitted to go 
back, otherwise the fumes of the formaldehyde will make them 
deathly sick and will even cause them to throw up their feed. 
As soon as one nest room is completed, proceed to another until 
the entire plant has been covered. 

As previously stated, this is quite a severe method, but it will 
do the work and thoroughly rid you of lice and mites if you 
cannot get rid of them any other way. If this operation is 
performed on a warm day it will not be necessary to keep the 
eggs or squabs warm except to throw a light cloth over them 



110 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

and keep them out of the air. Be sure and allow birds you dip 
enough time to dry off thoroughly before night. The sheep dip 
will not dry as quickly as water and will give them a greasy, 
dirty appearance for some time afterwards, but they will get 
rid of it, however, by bathing in due course of time. 

If you have a large plant naturally it will require several days 
to get through as you cannot work early in the morning or late 
in the afternoon. But once you go through the plant as directed 
you can feel certain that you have no more lice or mites to 
contend with. 

CATS, RATS AND MICE 

Cats will eat squabs but can be kept out of the plant with 
little trouble. The birds should be wired in, and anything that 
will keep a pigeon in, will keep a cat out. The presence of cats 
around the plant is an advantage as an enemy to rats and mice, 
provided cats are kept out of the nest rooms and fly pens. Cats 
that have been raised from kittens in a squab plant are not 
liable to bother the squabs or breeders, especially so if they 
are fed regularly. 

Rats are very destructive and their elimination is a problem 
that all squab breeders have to solve. If a squab house has a 
floor high enough off the ground to permit cats or dogs to get 
under, this will prevent rats from accumulating under the 
floors. If no floor is used, a layer of cinders several inches 
or a foot thick can be put down in the bottom of a squab house 
and then dirt or clay packed on top. Rats cannot bore in 
cinders successfully, the sharp edges of the cinders are too 
much for them. 

About the best plan is to dig a trench a fevv^ inches wide and 
18 inches deep around the outer edge of the squab house. Then 
nail a one-inch mesh wire to the lower edge of the squab house, 
allowing the wire to extend down into the trench. Fill the trench 
up with dirt and you have Mr. Rat barred from your place, 
provided there are no holes above the ground that a rat can 
enter through. 

This plan can be used with or without a floor, and with such 
a plan it is not necessary to build a squab house up off the 
ground, which will permit you to bank up dirt around your 
plant in the winter time to keep out the cold. Cold floors are 
very bad for pigeons. 



ENEMIES OF THE SQUAB PLANT 111 

Wire or other traps can be used successfully for catching rats 
or even poison can be resorted lo if there are no cats and dogs 
to eat it or the poisoned rats. 

While mice do not eat squabs or bother the eggs, they are very 
annoying around a squab plant, are great consumers of feed, 
and bother the pigeons more or less by getting into their nests. 

The feed supply should be kept in a mouse-proof bin or re- 
ceptacle; old boxes, buckets, barrels or other articles should be 
kept off the floor in a manner that will not permit mice hiding 
under or behind them. 

One of the best mouse traps I know of is a small box, partly 
filled with cotton, feathers, shavings, or paper, and placed on 
the floor of the squab room with a small hole in the bottom 
corner, big enough to allow mice to pass in and out. If there 
are any mice around, they will soon adopt the box for their 
home; the box can be carried out every few days and opened 
over a half tub of water; the mice will jump out into the tub 
and drown. Then the box can be put back into the nesting room 
for another catch. The longer such boxes and their contents 
are used, the more readily will the mice occupy them. 

Every time a rat or mouse hole is found in your squab house, 
you should nail a piece of tin or a thick block over it, vvhich 
will prevent them from getting a start in your plant. 

THIEVES AND BAD BOYS 

The element of danger from thieves or bad boys botnering 
pigeons can in many ways be guarded against. A high fence 
along the exposed sides of the plant, an electric lighting system 
that can be turned on from the residence and expose the pres- 
ence 01 any one in the plant at night, or the presence of a good 
watch dog, are good precautions. The possibility ol being 
bothered by boys or thieves is not great, for the reason that 
there is no ready local market or immediate demand for grown 
pigeons and they cannot therefore dispose of them promptly 
like chickens. The percentage of saleable squabs in the nests 
is so small that the danger of their being stolen is remote. 

SPARROWS, HAWKS AND OWLS 

Sparrows have become so numerous throughout the country 
that is necessary to guard against them, otherwise they will 



112 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

consume an enormous amount of feed. They are so bold, cun- 
ning and daring that they will find and enter a remote opening, 
tly right into a nest room and almost take possession of same. 

Inch mesh wire is the best protection against sparrows. In 
this way they can be kept out of the fly pens and therefore out 
of the squab house. 

Hawks and owls do not bother pigeons if they are kept in fly 
pens, for the reason that they cannot get through the wire, but 
hawks often prey upon pigeons if they fly out. They are more 
apt to catch the young birds that are just learning to fly, but 
often dart down and pick up an old one. 

Owls will only bother pigeons in the country and not then 
unless the birds occupy a barn loft or some place where the 
owls can conceal themselves in the day time and prey upon 
the birds at night. 

As a whole, however, there is little to fear from hawks and 
owls, as it is harder to catch old birds and young ones are not 
usually in a place where they can get them. 

If sparrows bother to any great extent they can be disposed 
of double quick by soaking wheat or other small grain in alcohol 
for a couple of hours or over night, then scatter the wheat out 
where the sparrows can eat it. When they do, it will make them 
drunk and they can be picked up by the basket full if there 
are that many. 

The wheat should be placed somewhere so that the pigeons 
or chickens, if you have any, cannot get to it as it will affect 
them the same way and if they get too much it will kill them. 
It takes ten or fifteen minutes for a sparrow to topple over after 
eating the soaked grain, but it will not get far away as it takes 
effect in a short tim.e. 



CHAPTER IX 
MOULTING AND COLOR BREEDING 

MOULTING 

Like all other feathered animals, pigeons moult (shed their 
feathers, once a year. They commence to moult in the summer 
and finish getting their new feathers before cold weather, and 
thus natuic has provided a way for them to keep cool in hot 
weather and warm in cold weather, and at the same time be 
annually supplied with a new suit. 

During the moulting process a bird will shed every feather, 
but only a few at a time, so at all times they are partly covered 
with feathers and have enough so they can fly. At the height 
of the moulting period, however, it is sometimes difficult for 
some birds to fly, especially if they have not moulted out evenly, 
which is sometimes the case, caused by poor condition or insuf- 
ficient feed of the proper feather producing value. 

Birds" require food during the moulting period with a lot of oil 
in it. Sunflower seed, millet, hemp or peanuts are all goodi 
feather producing feed, sunflower seed being the best for the' 
purpose, millet next. 

Mr. Mushet says: "Probably there is no period in the life of 
the pigeon that requires more attention than during the time 
of moulting, not only on account of the breaking down of the 
muscular tissues, owing to natural conditions, but also the drain 
on their vitality incidental to the production of a complete cover- 
ing of new feathers. 

Too great care cannot be given birds during this trying ordeal. 
At this time the birds are more than ever subject to ailments 
and while they may have gotten bravely over their moultings, 
many troubles which are apparent later may be traced directly 
to adverse conditions, which, under ordinary circumstances, 
would be of little importance." 

To sum up the matter briefly, I would suggest that all lofts 
be thoroughly cleaned before moulting and disinfected with 

113 



114 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

sheep dip or some other germicide, pigeons be kept free from 
draughts and made as comfortable as conditions will allow. 
Bathing should be provided for at least twice a week, care being 
taken that bath is emptied to prevent the pigeons drinking 
foul water. 

Breeding during the moulting period should be discouraged 
as much as possible, and no squabs should be raised for breed- 
ers until the moulting season is entirely over, as the energies 
of the parent birds are centered on recuperating their natural 
activity and not on feeding their offspring. Observation exer- 
cised with good common sense on the part of the individual 
breeder will accomplish a great deal at this critical period, as 
the different breeds of pigeons have characteristics peculiar to 
themselves and what might be applied to one loft might not be 
to another. 

EXPLANATION OF FEATHER COLORING 

It is generally believed by men who have made a study of the 
origin of the different kinds or species of pigeons that they all 
originally came from the ancient Rock Pigeon which was of a 
bluish gray in color with two black bars or stripes across the 
lower end of each wing, very much the same in color as the 
blue-barred Homer of today. The most positive proof of this 
theory is that the off-colored birds of any breed will show a 
tendency in color to "Blue Bars." The same is true when the 
different breeds are crossed for sooner or later the offspring 
drifts toward the color design of the Old Rock pigeon. In fact, 
in all colors and varieties of pigeons there is a characteristic 
marking of the feathers, such as bars on the wings and dark 
tips on the end of their tail feathers and the various color 
schemes built up from a bluish gray. That strongly supports 
the idea that all pigeons came from a common variety. This 
is also borne out by the habits and characteristics of all pigeons 
which are in a general way the same with all varieties. (See 
article on "Characteristics of Different Varieties.") Taking 
the Blue Bars as a feather color basis we can easily trace this 
bluish gray through the color scheme of all pigeons. 

The same fundamental principles govern the coloring in pig- 
eon feathers that govern the color of all other animals or fowls. 



MOULTING AND COLOR BREEDING 115 

That is to say, all colors are made from the three primary colors. 
Red, blue and yellow, with the negative white and the positive 
black, which gives various combinations of five so-called colors. 
The bluish gray pigeon color is more of a lead color than a blue 
and lead color is made by a mixture of black and white. A 
number of blue barred or gray pigeons with black bars put 
to themselves will sooner or later produce some all white and all 
black birds. The white birds are those that are void of pigment, 
hence negative in color or white. The black birds are the 
opposite with an oversupply of pigment which gives their 
feather coloring an extreme opaque appearance, hence look 
black, generally a muddy, bluish-black. By careful examination 
of the gray of the supposed original pigeon color it will be found 
to contain slight variations. Some birds will show slight reddish 
or purple cast, others have a tendency towards yellow or green. 
The various slight differences in shades are not noticeable unless 
one makes a special study of color and understands the prin- 
ciples of color and color combinations. You no doubt under- 
stand that blue and red make purple, red and yellow make 
orange and blue and yellow make green. Now the reason we 
have no green or purple pigeons is because the bluish color of 
pigeons is a combination of black and white and is, in fact, lead 
color or gray and not really blue, hence without blue there is 
no green as it takes blue and yellow to make green and without 
blue there is no purple as it takes blue and red to make purple. 
With lead color or gray substituted for blue we can get a slight 
purple or green cast, but no green or purple. Now, going back 
to explain the possibilities of the various colors of pigeons other 
than the supposed original color, the feather coloring of all 
pigeons shows the presence of more or less red and yellow, by 
selecting those that show the most red and breeding from them 
and again selecting the reddest of their offspring, pigeons of 
different shades of reddish feathers have been produced, but 
as yet it has not been possible to produce bright red or bright 
yellow birds and probably never will on account of the predom- 
inating colors of a pigeon being gray (if you will permit me to 
call gray a color) and as a combination of black and white 
makes a lead color and the presence of this lead color which 
cannot be entirely eliminated, gives the red or yellow a muddy 
look and prevents bright red or bright yellow. The various 



116 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

color combinations of pigeons, therefore, are, first, lead color 
(a combination of black and white with a little red or yellow 
cast); second, black with generally enough red or yellow to 
make a muddy black. Third, white; fourth, same colors with 
red predominating; fifth, the same colors with yellow predomi- 
nating and sixth, a combination of one or more of these color 
schemes . The presence of black, which generally shows first 
in the form of two black bu's on the wings, and the presence 
of white, which generally shows first in the larger wing feath- 
ers, making the wings "white tipped," are the most common 
feather markings and those that are the most difficult lo 
eliminate. 

Such colors as silver and dun are chance or negative coiurb, 
the same as is yellow that appears as the result of certain color 
tendency that shows up with the combining of red and yellow 
with lead color with more or less black or white, but there are 
no green or purple shades because both green and purple re- 
quires blue and there is no blue in the feather coloring of 
pigeons. The bluish color tliat we see being the result of a 
mixture of black and white. 

HOW TO BREED YELLOW, DUN OR SILVER 
COLORED PIGEONS 

Since writing the first edition of this book the author has 
carefully studied the question of how to breed yellow, dun or 
silver colored pigeons that will reproduce these colors and has 
made conclusive experiments until he has found a positive rule 
in securing birds in yellow, dun or silvered colors with assured 
results. 

To start with let me explain that yellow in pigeons is the 
negative color to red, dun is the negative color to black and 
silver the negative to blue. To make this more plain, I will 
designate red, black and blue as positive colors and yellow, 
dun and silver as negative colors. 

Now and then will be found a pair of red pigeons that will 
produce occasionally, a yellow offspring which is always a 
female. Now and then will be found a pair of pure black 
pigeons which will produce occasionally, a dun offspring which 
is always a female and now and then will be found a pair of 



MOULTING AND COLOR BREEDING 117 

all blue pigeons that, occasionally will produce a silver offspring 
which is always a female. 

It has been a great question in the minds of many who notice 
these irregularities in colors as to how to produce a male in 
the negative color, viz.: yellow, dun or silver inasmuch as 
these negative colored birds that spring from the positive colors 
arc always females. 

If you will follow me closely, I will explain how to breed 
negative colored males. First locate the parents, whether they 
be red, black or blue that produce the yellow, dun or silver 
colored females. Separate these parents and remate the male 
of that mating with a negative colored bird of its respective 
color, viz.: if it is a red cock remate it with a yellow female; a 
black cock with a dun female or a blue cock with a silver 
female. It will be all right to mate the positive colored cock 
with its negative colored female offspring, but just as well 
to mate the cock with the negative colored female of no relation. 

Before I go further and to make it more simple, we will leave 
off the black and dun and blue and silver combinations and 
make the illustration wholly from the red and yellow combi- 
nation, the black and dun, and blue and silver, being identical 
with the red and yellow. What applies to one will apply to the 
other. Explaining a little more, regarding the positive red cock 
that occasionally produces a yellow female, such cocks are not 
pure red positive colors, although they cannot be distinguished 
in color from pure positive red cocks. There is something there 
that one cannot see. They are impure bred and when mated 
with a negative or yellow female the offspring of that mating 
will be on an average one-fourth impure red cocks, one-fourth 
yellow cocks, and one-fourth pure red hens and one-fourth 
yellow hens. 

The offspring of the impure red male youngster will produce 
the same as the olTspring as its impure red male father regard- 
less of whether it is mated to a red hen or a yellow hen and 
the male oflspring will be red if it is mated to a red hen and 
yellow if it is mated to a yellow hen. fThe next generation or 
reproduction will continue as above, therefore one can secure 
yellow males out of every four on an average, which will pro- 
duce yellow youngsters of both sex if mated to yellow females 
by mating an impure red cock to a yellow hen and a red male 



118 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

of that mating will reproduce one-fourth yellow cocks the same 
as their fathers if mated to yellow females and the yellow cocks 
will reproduce both males and females if mated to yellow males. 
On the other hand, the red females whether from impure red 
cocks mated to red females or from yellow cocks mated to red 
females will always be color pure, hence the color of any red 
female's offspring will not be influenced by their yellow or 
red parentage. 

What is true of red and yellow matings as explained above, 
is also true of the black and dun matings and blue and silver 
matings. This applies to all breeds of pigeons and all colors 
and all combinations of colors, also to birds of any of these 
colors mixed with white in large or small proportions. 

Pure red males, if mated to pure red hens will produce pure 
red males and females which in turn will produce pure red off- 
springs of both sex. Pure red males mated to yellow females 
will produce one-half pure red males, one-fourth pure red fe- 
males and one-fourth yellow females, therefore it is possible to 
produce yellow males from pure red males and it is impossible 
to produce dun males from pure black males or silver males 
from pure blue males. 

By studying the following diagrams, one will be able to more 
closely comprehend the intricate explanations made above and 
more readily grasp the results of certain matings. 

The following table shows how to produce impure red males 
that will, when mated with yellow females, reproduce yellow 
mates an average of one out of every four. 

Pigeons will not produce with a limited number of hatchings 
exactly according to this table, but in time they will average 
exactly as the table shows: 



Pure Red Male "^ f Impure Red Mf xo 

I ^ , I Impure Red Mf ie 

and > Produce < t^ j -n ■, 

r I Red Female 

Yellow Female I Red Female 



Yellow Male "Ij C Impure Red Male 

I ^ ^ Impure Red Male 

and V Produce < -^ ,i -r. ^ 

f ] Yellow Female 

Red Female I Yellow Female 



MOULTING AND OOLOR ^RE^EDlNG lid 

Impure Red Male ^ f Impure Red Male 

V. "Prnrlnrp J 



I Yellow Male 

. -^ ^^^ Female 

J [ tellow 



and y Produce 

Yellow Female I I Yellow Female 



Impure Red Male "j f Impure Red Male 

Impure Red Male 
Red Female 

Red Female J (^ Yellow Female 



and V Produce 



and V Produce 



1 r 

V Produce J 

\ 
] 



Yellow Male ^ ^ Yellow Male 

I Yellow Male 
\ Yellow Female 
Yellow Female I Yellow Female 



It will be noted that it takes an impure male mated with a 
yellow female to produce yellow males and that an impure male 
can be produced from the mating of pure red males to yellow 
females or by mating yellow males to red females, but when 
once a yellow male is produced and mated to a yellow female, 
the offspring will all be yellow. The offspring as shown in the 
tables will not always prove in the same ratio of one to 
four, but they will average that proportion. 

What is true of Red and Yellow combinations is also true with 
Black and Dun and Blue and Silver combinations. 

INBREEDING 

The chance of inbreeding and the danger of harm from it is not 
as great as most people think. To repeatedly mate brother with 
sister, mother with son or father with daughter would bring 
bad results, but an occasional mating of this kind, as might 
occur by chance, will make little or no difference and show 
no ill effect. 

The percentage of chance of close inbreeding is so small that 
it does not pay to guard against it. As an example, with as 
few as six pairs to start a flock with, there would be but one 
chance in five for a brother to mate with sister out of the first 
lot of youngsters and considerably less than that as the flock 
increased. 

The chance for a parent bird to mate with its daughter or son, 
would be less, as the size of the flock would be much larger by 
the time an old bird would probably die and make it necessary 
for an old bird to get a new mate. 



120 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

The fact that a female will mate up about two weeks younger 
on an average, than a male, reduces the chance for brother to 
mate with sister. This is caused by the habits of birds more 
than by the age that male and female mate. A male will gen- 
erally get a home or a nesting place before he gets a mate. In 
fact, this is generally the way he gets a mate (see article on 
mating), while a female will mate up with some older male that 
has a home to take her to about the time her nest brother is 
thinking of getting a home. 



CHAPTER X 
PIGEON DISEASES AND REMEDIES 

GENERAL REMARKS 

On this subject no one seems to be very capable of advising 
except as to chief remedies and that birds should be handled in 
such a way as to keep them healthy, thus preventing disease 
and making medicine unnecessary. 

There are various common diseases that pigeons are more or 
less afflicted with and some of these are harmless, while others 
prove fatal. Later on I will describe some simple remedies that 
I have found to be fairly effective, but cannot youch for them 
except in a small way. 

Pigeons ai'e just like people and pigeon doctors are just like 
all other doctors. One will have one theory and a remedy for 
a certain disease, and another something entirely different. If 
a person gets a headache or stomach trouble, one doctor will 
prescribe certain medicines. Another doctor will tell you that 
you need electrical treatments, another that a change of climate 
is necessary or a visit to certain springs, or forms of violent 
exercise or dieting will bring about certain results, while another 
doctor might want to massage it out of you and still another 
pronounce you incurable. All of these various characteristics 
are found in pigeon doctors, so you can see what a person would 
be up against trying to follow the various remedies offered by 
people with different experiences and ideas. To this I might 
add that no one seems to understand the delicate make-up of a 
pigeon and its anatomy as some of our leading physicians do 
the human anatomy. Then, too, it is hard to proportion remedies 
for such a small being as a pigeon and hard to detect the results. 

You cannot feel a pigeon's pulse or take its temperature suc- 
cessfully or ask it to describe its ailments. So, as a whole, 

121 



VZ2 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

doctoring pigeons is not a successful undertaking and the best 
we can do with any degree of success is to, first, keep pigeons 
well by giving them proper food and water and other supplies 
and, second, if they do get sick, take a chance on some simple 
remedy that cannot harm them even though it might not do 
them much good. 
The following are a few symptoms and simple remedies: 

ROUP AND COLDS 

During rain and cold weather and certain seasons of the year, 
and especially in the sections of the country where there is 
more or less dampness, there is danger of pigeons contracting 
colds and roup. 

The best remedy for any disease is a preventative and this is 
especially true with colds and roup. The same thing that will 
cause birds to catch cold will cause them to catch more cold 
if the cause is not removed. All the medicine in the world will 
not euro a bird in the presence of elrafts, damp lofts or other 
unfavorable conditions. As with people, plenty of fresh air is 
necessary, but the admittance of air and the nest box arrange- 
ment must be so that birds will not be exposed to drafts and 
can keep warm and dry. 

One of the first things to do for pigeons with a bad cold is to 
give them a slight physic. A tablespoonful of Epsom salt to a 
gallon of water given the birds the first thing in the morning 
is about the best way to give physic. All other water nriust be 
kept from them, otherwise they will not drink the water con- 
taining the salts. Next see that there are no drafts in the loft, 
especially near the floor. If the floor is cold you will find the 
air circulation is wrong or that the wind blows under the house. 
Cold floors are very bad for pigeons. For this reason I do not 
favor building the house up off the ground. A thorough clean- 
ing out of a nest room, using plenty of dry lime and dry nesting 
material, a change in the air regulation, plenty of fresh water 
for the birds to drink, and a change in their feed will break up 
colds or roup nine times out of ten. For severe cases give the 
bird a pinch of dry sulphin^ twice a clay and place them in a 
warm, airy place, away from the other birds. There are other 
remedies that no doubt have lots of merit, but doctoring pigeons 



PIGEON DISEASES AND' REMEDIES 123 

is hard and uncertain as to results. Therefore, preventatives 
are better than cures. 

The time to start remedies is at the first sign of a cold which 
can be detected by w^heezing or hard breathing. It is then time 
to change the air circulation, look out for drafts, wet, damp 
rooms or cold floors and remedy same. 

"GOING LIGHT" 

When birds are getting thin, they invariably are not receiving 
a sufficient amount of good food, and birds that are especially 
weak and thin can be best doctored by putting them in a place 
by themselves, where they can get an extra amount of choice 
grain, charcoal, grit, oyster shell, and plenty of fresh water. 

A dose of Epsom salts, used at the ratio of about one table- 
spoonful to a gallon of water is a good remedy in case birds 
are in a rundown condition. Epsom salts is also a good bowel 
remedy if given not oftener than once a week. A small dose 
will generally give the bird that will not eat an appetite, giving 
them water with salts in, as described above. In order to get 
birds to drink such water, however, it is generally necessary to 
take all the water away from tliem in the afternoon and then 
give them water with salts in the next morning. 

Birds often become sick or "under the weather" during the 
moulting season. Hemp or sunflower seeds are good feather 
producers, and a little fed along with the morning feed is a 
good idea. I for one do not believe that there is such a disease 
as going light. That some pigeons may get poor, run down and 
become weak is not denied, for that is a fact, but that there is 
a certain ailment known as "going light" is questionable. 

Pigeons are very healthy, and the percentage of deaths from 
disease is extremely small as compared with chickens. 

If a person takes a bad cold, which runs into bronchial trouble, 
asthma, or tuberculosis; or, for instance, has poor digestive 
organs, we generally know the cause of the poor health and 
call it by its proper name; whereas, if a pigeon suffers from any 
of these troubles we say it is "going ligh.t" 

Bad or impure feed, dirty and impure water, damp lofts and 
unsanitary conditions, will all be instrumental for a bird losing 
its appetite, and as a result "go light." If a bird gets a sour 



124 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

crop, a case of constipation, running off of the bowels, an in- 
active liver, a clogged gizzard, or even a severe cold, it will eat 
but little, if anything, and naturally "go light." Hence a certain 
remedy to cure "going light" would not suffice. That which 
would be good for a cold or a soup crop might not be beneficial, 
for some of the other ailments mentioned. 

Before one can intelligently doctor a bird, he must first diag- 
nose its troubles or at least form a conclusion as to the cause. 

The old saying about an ounce of prevention being worth a 
pound of cure especially applies in the pigeon business. The 
proper care and attention and a simple remedy given at the 
first sign of sickness will keep pigeons in the best of condition. 

Birds that get sick should be put in a pen by themselves, 
where they will not be bothered by the aggressive cocks in the 
loft. Such a place should afford plenty of light and fresh air 
(no draught), be warm in winter and cool in summer. They 
should be provided daily with fresh water, grit, salt, charcoal, 
oyster shell, and have plenty of appetizing food. 

A good plan is to apply the same general principle of treat- 
ment to a pigeon as one would to a person, using one's best 
judgment as to how much treatment is practical and profitable, 
and basing opinion upon knowledge of what can be accom- 
plished. 

The most common cause for "going light" is lack of nourish- 
ment. The pigeons actually are starving for want of nourish- 
ing grain like Canada peas and pigeon peanuts. "Going light" 
is also seen in females driven too hard by the males. Such 
females should be removed from the breeding pen and rested. 
There is no germ cause for "going light." 

SORE EYES 

The principal cause of sore eyes among pigeons is colds, due 
to dampness or overhead • drafts. The symptoms of sore eyes 
caused from colds are: First, swollen eyelids, followed by a 
slight discharge and gummed up eyelids to the extent of total 
closing of the eye. To cure sore eyes caused by colds, cure the 
cold by removing the cause, then nature will take its course, 
provided the birds are accorded the proper treatment, such as 
plenty of fresh air, good wholesome feed and pure water. The 



PIGEON DISEASES AND REMEDIES 125 f 

first thing in sore eyes, colds, or most any other aihnent for that 
matter, is to see that bird's bowels are active, yet not loose. 
This can be regulated by the feed given, add a little more wheat 
to your feed mixture if birds seem to be bound up, and if the 
bowels arc too loose reduce the portion of wheat. Charcoal is 
also a good bowel regulator, especially if the bowels are too 
loose. If the eye is glued shut, soak the lids loose by applying 
warm water, with the aid of a clean soft cloth or cotton. If 
this is not convenient, hold the bird's head with the closed eye 
up and spit in it, allowing the sputum to flood the eye for a 
minute, when it will come open. This sounds like an unclean 
remedy, but it is a good one nevertheless. In fact, sputum is good 
for most any kind of sore eyes. 

Canker will cause sore eyes, but if the canker appears on the 
side of the head near the eye you can always tell a canker sore 
eye by the presence of a hard lump on or near the eye. These' 
lumps are apt to be of most any size from a grain of wheat up' 
to a lump almost as large as the bird's head. This forni bf 
canker is not serious and can be removed by cutting a large 
enough slit in the skin with a sharp knife to permit the cank- 
ered lump to be squeezed out. The wound will bleed a little' 
when cut, but not to hurt anything, and will stop bleeding sts 
soon as the cankered lump is removed. There will be no blood' 
at all from the inside of the cankered lump or the pocket it is in. 
The wound will heal up immediately and the bird will get well. 

When several birds are confined to close quarters or in ship- 
ping crates, they sometimes pick each other in the eye, which 
will make it sore. There is nothing necessary in such cases, as 
the eye will heal in a few days, although it may look very bad 
at the time. If a bird should in any way lose an eye they will 
work and produce as many good squabs as they would with two 
good eyes. They, of course, will not look as well with one eye, 
but are just as useful. A good rule is to save a one-eyed female 
and kill the one-eyed males. 

There are some good eye remedies on the market, but the 
percentage of sore eyes is small with a good flock of healthy 
birds and the cure of all such diseases is so uncertain with 
pigeons that it is hardly worth while to doctor them, except in, 
extraordinary cases with birds of special value. 



126 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

. LUMPS ON WINGS 

Lumps on pigeon wings are generally due to a sprained or 
dislocated joint, as a rule caused by rough handling and catching 
of birds or by catching them by one wing and allowing them 
to twist or turn around and thereby dislocate a wing joint. 
Nature tries to heal the place and as a protection grows a 
grisel-like substance over the affected part; the bird cannot use 
the joint, which affects or entirely prevents flying. Very little 
can be done for a broken, sprained or dislocated wing. 

The next usual cause for lumps on wings is canker. This is 
a different form of canker than appears in birds' mouths and 
throats. Lump canker it is called, and while it often appears 
on the wing, it is just as apt to form on any other part of the 
body. This can be easily cured by splitting the skin and flesh 
over the bump and take the lump out as is explained in cutting 
canker lumps from eyes. 

By examining lumps that appear on the wings one can read- 
ily tell a canker lump from one caused by an injury. The 
canker lump will stand out farther from the body and you can 
easily detect the canker substance inside before it is opened. 
Then there is what is known as a diseased joint, which seems 
to be more or less hereditary, sometimes caused by close in- 
breeding. These diseased joints are thought by some to be 
tubercular in form. Perhaps so, it seldom hurts birds and they 
will live for years, and keep up constant work in that condition. 
If a bird, however, is disabled to the extent that it can not fly 
the best plan is to get rid of it as it does not add to the looks 
of the pen and will be compelled to nest on the floor which is bad. 

SORE FEET 

If pigeons are allowed to stay in a dirty loft or walk on 
muddy ground, they are apt to suffer with sore feet, which is 
caused by the dirt sticking to the bottom of their feet and caus- 
ing the skin to crack and bleed. The remedy for this trouble 
is to soak the dirt off with warm water, then grease the feet 
with tallow mixed with turpentine or lard and turpentine. Tal- 
low is better than lard. The tallow must be warmed before it 
will mix with turpentine. 

If sore feet are not taken care of the trouble will become 



PIGEON DISEASES AND REMEDIES 127 

chronic. Rough calloused growths will appear on the bottom of 
the feet and feathers will start growing on these sore places until 
the bird will get so it can hardly walk. Turpentine and lard or 
tallow is about the only remedy and a dry, clean place for the 
bird to stay until its feet are well. 

MUD BALLS 

Muddy pens or lofts will cause birds to get mud balls, on 
their toe nails, and if not taken off will keep getting bigger and 
bigger, like a snow ball, and cause the bird to lose its toe nails, 
and sometimes go lame. The way to get the mud balls off with- 
out pulling the toe nail off is to cut them off with a knife. You 
will find the ball the thinnest on top, and by cutting or split- 
ting the mud ball along the top of the nail, holding the toe as 
you would sharpen a pencil, you will find it no trouble to get 
the ball loose from the toe without damaging the nail or making 
the toe bleed. 

Squabs in the nest will sometimes have mud balls form on 
their toes due to dirty nests, which generally comes from bowel 
trouble. In such a case the nest should be cleaned out, fresh 
nesting material put in the nests, the mud balls removed from 
the birds' toes as above explained, and then change the feed or 
conditions that caused the birds' bowels to get out of order. 
Squabs will not fatten under such conditions. 

SIMPLE REMEDIES 

Some simple remedies suggested by Mr. Roy Y. Whitney in 
American Pigeon Journal as follows: 

Colds 

Rub yellow murcuric oxide ointment into a bird's eyes that 
are watery and sore, once a day for three or four days and you 
will be pleased with the result. 

If your birds all seem to be catching colds, are coughing or 
sneezing, the following remedy will bring results: Fix your 
house so you can close it up tight. When the birds have all 
gone to roost, set a burner in the house with a pan over it con- 
taining about ll^ pints of water and a big tablespoonful of 
Cresoline. Light the burner and close up the house. Allow 



128 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

the vapor from the boiling Cresoline to rise for a couple of hours 
every evening for a week. This will eradicate a contagious 
cold. Give the birds a good laxative of Epsom salts in their 
drinking water while so doing. 

Canker 

Hard canker can be cauterized with chemically pure blue 
vitrol or bluestone. Wet a little paddle in some water so the 
bluestone will cling to it. Hold the paddle against the canker 
for a minute or so. Remove the blackened canker carefully 
before applying the second time. Treat about twice in one day. 
Be careful not to let any bluestone run down the bird's throat. 
A caustic pencil will cauterize small spots of canker. Get the 
bluestone at a drug store. The above remedies will do for an 
occasional case of canker, but when it runs through a whole 
flock, you had better look to your feed and water. Plenty of liver 
salts put in the drinking water every day for a month together 
with a feed suitable to the climatic conditions will stamp it 
out of a flock. Slightly underfeed your birds and cut down on 
yellow corn, henip, or any other grain that is very heating. In 
other words, allow the bird a chance to cool off his blood. You 
will hardly ever find canker among underfed birds. 

Cheesy Canker 

Dip a piece of cotton into some Ichthyol and swab out the 
bird's throat once or twice a day. Do not allow any to run 
down the bird's throat. The cheesy canker or diphtheria roop 
will disappear. 

Loose Bowels 

Cut down on the amount of soft wheat you are feeding and 
substitute rice. If a bird is very sick, give it nothing but boiled 
milk to drink with its feed. If the droppings show that the 
bird has a cold in the bowels, make it swallow two No. 5 capsules 
full of quinine every day for three or four days, after which 
give it a physic of Epsom salts. 

Sour Crop 

Plirge the bird's crop with salty water. Give him a charcoal 
tablet, and let him go hungry for a day. Do not let him overeat 



PIGEON DISEASES AND REMEDIES 129 

for a day or so. If you feed clean grain and keep plenty of 
charcoal and salt before the birds, they won't be troubled with 
sour crop. 

Egg Troubles 

Plenty of lime made into a paste and stirred into the grit 
will keep away the thin-shelled eggs. A small quantity of lime 
in the drinking water occasionally will also be of benefit. Do 
not pick a squab out of a hard shelled egg. Cover the egg well 
with saliva and lay it back in the nest. Your squab will hatch 
out without any further help. 

Vermin 

When you do your whitewashing, use about one pint of 
Cresoline to every 10 gallons of whitewash. It will keep the 
bugs out of the boards and cracks. If you cannot get this, you 
can use salt. Mix the lime with a good strong solution of salt 
brine. Salt brine will kill almost any kind of an insect and so 
will salty whitewash. 

Spray the ground Well with the whitewash; turn it over with 
a spade and spray it again. Your birds will not have to walk 
around on foul earth, which looks clean. Remember they arc 
built to walk pretty close to the ground. 

Tonic 

Ten drops tincture of Gentian to each gallon of water is a 
j':ood tonic. Give it once a week. Ten cents worth of permanga- 
nate of potash in one-half gallon of water makes a good strong 
tonic. Color the drinking water to the same strength as you 
would were you using Germazone, a little Venetian Red mixed 
into the feed once a week is a good cleanser. 

Feather Rot 

Feather rot in the wings or tail feathers can be cured by 
using vinegar on them. Apply it with a medium stiff brush. 
Do not try to make use of all these remedies at one time as 
there is such a thing as overdoing the doctoring stunt. Give 
the birds a good clean house, clean feed and water and you will 
have very little doctoring to do, especially if you take an interest 
in their everyday welfare, 



130 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

FEEDING WEAK OR SICK PIGEONS 

As a rule when a pigeon gets so sick or weak that it will not 
eat the regular feed provided for well birds there is not much 
use trying to do anything for it unless one has plenty of time 
or has a special bird he wants to save. Young birds just after 
the parent bird has stopped feeding them are the most likely 
to need special feed, or females that have been driven too hard 
by the male bird. If either is cared for in time all that is nec- 
essary is to put them in a pen by themselves or with other such 
birds and see that they get plenty of good rich feed including 
a little hemp, plenty of peas and such grain as millet, buck- 
wheat, lentils, vetch, etc. Any of these grains will be eaten by 
sick birds when they will not eat the more common grains. 

These grains are generally more expensive than regular feed 
so they must be fed sparingly. 

If a bird is so sick or weak that it will not eat, then feed 
must be forced down its throat. (See article on "Feeding Squabs 
by Hand.") A bird that is so far gone that it will not eat of its 
own accord, especially when it is given special grain, is as a rule 
past doing anything with. 

In such cases a mixture of two parts wheat bran and three 
parts corn meal with about a spoonful of ground red pepper to 
a cup of bran and meal is about the best thing to give them. 
This mixture should be made wet enough with water to make 
it easy to force down the bird's throat or it can be given in 
capsules. This is an especially good way to give most any kind 
of medicine or feed to sick birds. Cotton seed meal or peanut 
meal is a good thing to mix with bran and corn meal. About 
one part to five parts of bran and corn meal. 

Small cubes of toasted bread is also excellent feed for sick 
birds. 

FEEDING SQUABS BY HAND 

Motherless squabs can often be successfully raised by hand if 
one has patience and will take the time to do so. If you have 
never fed a squab by hand, you will find the work very tedious 
at the start, but a little practice will enable you to show a marked 
improvement 



PiGKON DISEASES AND REMEDIES l3l 

Hand feeding is no more nor less than i'orcing the bird to 
eat by poking the feed down the bird's throat. To do this you 
should open the beak with the left hand and poke the grain in 
with the right hand. The best way is to set the bird on some- 
thing, then take its head and neck in the left hand, resting the 
edge of your hand on the bird's back to hold it from pulling 
away. Then hold the lower half of the beak between your thumb 
and second finger. Lift up the upper half of the beak with your 
front finger and put a grain of corn or other feed in the bird's 
mouth and release its head to allow it to swallow. If it does 
not swallow and persists in throwing the feed out, then you 
will find it necessary to poke the grain part way down with the 
front finger of your right hand. Repeat this operation until the 
crop is fairly well filled. 

If you give the squab a drink before you start to feeding it 
the grain will go down easier. Some real young squabs will 
drink if you stick their heads in a cup of water. 

If they will not drink of their own accord, you should pour 
some water down their throats. You can best do this with a 
spoon, or better still with a medicine dropper, holding the bird 
the same as you would to feed it and opening the beak in the 
same way. Do not be afraid of giving the bird too much water. 

A small squab can consume two or three tablespoonfuls of 
water. If the grain chokes up the bird's throat you can work it 
down with your fingers from the outside. 

In addition to feed and water, a bird should be given a very 
small amount of grit, oyster shell and charcoal. Hand fed 
squabs will not do as well as if fed by their parents, but they 
can be raised by hand and develop into good birds. 

Hand feeding can be done in connection with the feeding of 
the old birds, which is often a good thing if one has a good 
special squab that he desires to raise that is not getting enough 
•feed. In such a case a few peas given to the squab nightly is 
a good thing. If it is fed by hand during the day it will not 
beg or tease its parents for feed as much as it would if hungry 
and so would get less feed from its parents. 

If you have three or four squabs in one nest it is not a bad 
plan to feel their crops at night and either change any that 
have empty crops to other nests or hand feed them a little. 

A hand fed squab will do better if you can slip him in a nest 



132 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

every day or so where he will be fed by an old Wrd, or if you 
can exchange the squabs that you are hand feeding for other 
squabs daily, it is better, for then the same squabs will not be 
hand fed constantly. 

A breeder with a large plant will always have young squabs 
in other nests about the same size and thus be able to have any 
orphan squabs fed by foster parents, so that hand feeding will 
not, as a rule, be necessary. 

HELPFUL REMEDIES 

The experience of others is always woith something and so I 
(juote in part from John S. McCreight: 

Pigeons in general have fewer diseases and ailments than 
chickens and less doctoring is necessary. There are times, 
however, when a little medicine or tonic is absolutely necessary, 
and if given in time will prove beneficial to those needing it 
and act as a preventative to those not afflicted. 

Pigeons are active and full of life when in good health, and 
are without doubt the liveliest and most hustling family of the 
feathered tribe. 

A bird when off his feed or sick is soon noticeable. You will 
see it huddled off to itself, feathers all turned up and its head 
hi between its shoulders. You know the moment you see it that 
something is wrong. 

Now, to find what is the matter. Catch the bird and examine 
its throat; see if there are any sores or ulcers in the throat. If 
you find yellow pimples it doubtless has canker. 

If you find nothing wrong with the throat, examine the "craw." 
If it is full and mushy and the breath of the bird is l)ad, it has 
"sour craw." 

If neither of the above are found and you are not experienced 
in pigeon raising, you are rather up against it. There are a 
good many things that would make the bird act the way it does. 
If a young female, she might be egg-bound, or the bird might 
be going light. If you cannot determine what is wrong, pull out 
the bird's tail — all the feathers — give it half a teaspoonful of 
castor oil and put in a coop by itself. Give plenty of fresh 
water and some stale bread crumbs and a little hemp. The 
chances are that with this treatment the bird will be all right 
in a few days. 



Pigeon diseases and remedies 133 

It takes very little medicine around the loft and a mighty 
good idea is "not to doctor" — go on the principle of leaving well 
enough alone. Should you happen to need medicine for a sick 
bird, I will give you a few remedies: 

A tonic to put in their drinking water that I have used for 
several years and found very satisfactory is given below. I have 
given this every spring and every fall and it is about the only 
tonic I use. It can be filled at any drug store and costs generally 
about 35 cents. 

Tonic. — Copperas, one-half ounce; sulphate of^soda, four 
ounces, gentian root (powdered) one-half ounce; phosphate of 
soda, two ounces, and pure creosote (Beechwood), one dram. 
The creosote must first be rubbed well in a mortar with about 
40 grains of calcined magnesia. Put the creosote, after being 
prepared, in two quarts of hot water, stir well and gradually 
add the other ingredients, then set away and keep in a cool 
place. Dose: One tablespoonful to a gallon of water, and have 
no other water in the fly pen. Give them this once or twice a 
month and it will likely kee}) them in good condition. 

Diarrhoea.^ — Two drops of laudanum. Put bird in dry clean 
cOop; no water or feed for twenty-four hours. Repeat dose in 
six to ten hours, if needed. P'eed toasted, very brown bread 
crumbs for a couple of days, then a little hemp and then on 
regular feed. 

Canker. — Put in the bird's throat, on tlie sores, some burned 
alum or you can use a little tincture of iodine. However, my 
remedy is the axe and I immediately break up the mating that 
produced the canker squab. Watch this pair carefully and see 
which of the parent birds is responsible and get the one respon- 
sible out of the loft. 

If a bird doesn't eat like it should and shows a poor appetite, 
give one grain gentian root. 

Epsom salts is used by a great many in the summer. Put 
a teaspoonful Epsom salts to a quart of water and give no other 
drinking water. For a large number of birds increase the 
quantity in the same proportion. 

Cod liver oil is good to use on a bird off its feed. Dose: Three 
drops at a time, say, three times a day. 

Hypophosphites of lime and soda is also fine for a "going light" 
bird . Dose: One- fourth of a grain, three times a day. 



134 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Sour Craw. — This is caused from several causes, chief of which 
is not feeding the birds regularly. You miss a feed and then the 
birds get very hungry. When you do feed them they eat too 
much, drink water and the food becomes sour before it is di- 
gested. The treatment is to hold the bird upside down and 
gradually work the food out of its craw. Don't try to get the 
food out too rapidly, but work easy and gently. Give the bird 
a little fresh water when you have the craw cleaned and bread 
crumbs. Let it stay in the coop until it is well, gradually adding 
grain to the daily feed until it is able to go on regular rations, 
but as I have said before the best remedy is to feed, water and 
house birds properly, and in this way prevent diseases. Pigeons 
are naturally very healthy and will keep well if conditions are 
right. 



CHAPTER XI 
MATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 

HOW PIGEONS MATE 

Pigeons will mate and go to raising squabs under almost 
any conditions. Naturally, they will mate and do better imder 
lavorable conditions than otherwise. 

Almost any male or female pigeon will mate with almost any 
other male or female, regardless of size, color or kind, provided, 
of course, they are given an opportunity to mate by shutting 
them up together, or putting them in a pen where there are no 
other unmated birds. If ten, twenty or more females are put 
into a pen with an equal number of males, in time there will 
be as many mated pairs, as there are males and females com- 
bined in the pen. That is to say, if 20 males were put in with 20 
females and 19 of each mated, the twentieth male and twentieth 
female would then mate, there being no other odd birds in the 
pen for them to mate with. As a matter of fact, pigeons do very 
little choosing when it comes to selecting mates. The time, 
place, and condition of the birds has more to do with their 
pairing up than any particular attraction that one bird might 
have for another bird of the opposite sex. 

For instance, if a male has no place to mate, he is not apt to 
want to mate, but if he has a home, so to speak, (a place to 
build a nest that he considers his private property), he will 
protect that place from all other birds, and it will be his natural 
prolific instinct to secure a mate and go to housekeeping. When 
he is in this mood, he will go to his nesting box, or place he 
controls, and call for a female by successive long, cooing sounds. 
He will keep this up for hours at a time. If there is an un- 
mated female in the pen, such cooing is "sweet music to her 
ears," and will attract her to the nest or place where the male 
is. She will find him in a squatting position, and generally 
slightly flapping or quivering one wing, as he coos or calls. 
To signify her willingness to mate, she will fly up to the en- 
trance of the nest with her wings slightly held out from hej 

135 



136 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

body alighting, with her neck feathers puffed out, which gives 
her, as a whole, a very mild and pleasing appearance. While 
the male is anxious for a female to come, he, nevertheless, con- 
siders her an intruder, as far as his house is concerned, and, 
therefore, at first he will not let her come into the nest box or 
get too familiar on his premises. He will fight her away vigor- 
ously, and then go back and resume his calling. The female 
not to be discouraged, will return again and again, until finally 
the male will let her come into the nesting box, which place she 
will enter, strutting and prancing in a very sprightly manner. 
She will rush right in almost on top of the male and pick him 
on the head and neck. For a time he will chase her away and 
then finally submit. If they are not disturbed or separated at 
this point, they will soon consider themselves mated, but the 
courtship and lovemaking does not end here. 

Newly mated pairs can be found at almost any hour, for sev- 
eral days after they have mated, squatting together in the nest- 
ing place; the male now having changed his long loud coos to 
short, low tones, uttered in quick succession. The female will 
also coo a little during this period, but her cooing is not as loud 
or as coarse as the male. The same lovemaking will take place 
each time before a nest is built for a new setting of eggs and 
squabs, but only for short periods. Like people, their longest 
honeymoon is at the start. 

If the female has no mate and does not hear any calling 
or long cooing, she will signify her desire to mate by prancing 
up and down with her wings spread away from her body, slight- 
ly, and now and then strutting with her tail on the ground. 
She will show these signs particularly strong as she lights after 
short flights from one place to another. Males that already 
have mated will be attracted by this flirtation, and often take 
advantage of the opportunity to court unmated females when 
they see them strutting around in this fashion. While the male 
does not intend to permanently mate with the female, she does 
not seem to know this, and takes him to be sincere (human 
nature). Sometimes a male will become so fascinated and 
interested with his new prospective spouse, that he will desert 
his regular mate even though she might have eggs or young 
squabs. In fact, such a condition is more apt to happen if she 
has eggs, for the reason if she is on eggs she does not see him; 



MATlKG AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 



137 



otherwise, if she is there on the spot, and sees what is going on, 
she will immediately interfere and give Miss Flirting Female a 
good picking; but, strange to say, she does not seem to blame 
her mate, and lays all the blame on the weaker sex. 




PAIR OF CARNEAUX 
Picture shows cock in the act of cooing to his mate. This pair is 
just beginning- to build another nest. 

If there is an odd male in the pen, he is apt to cause consid- 
erable damage, especially if he has secured a nest and has 
worked laboriously to entice some prospective mate to his home. 
Then he will change his tactics, by the rule that might makes 



138 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

right, and proceeds to try and win him a mate by physical 
power. If he can succeed in whipping some other male away 
from his nest, breaking up the family, it is possible for him to 
secure a mate in that way; but by his undertaking, he generally 
only succeeds in breaking eggs, killing young squabs and wear- 
ing out himself and his antagonist, without getting the female 
to desert her former mate. 

The female will invariably contribute to the defense of her 
home, and try to protect her young ones. It is not desirable, 
therefore, to have either odd females or odd males in a loft of 
working birds. It is better to have an even number of males 
and females, for invariably they will find each other and mate 
up. The best mating plan is to take an equal number of odd 
males and females, and shut them up together until they mate, 
and then turn them in with the regular mated birds. 

As stated previously, a male can be mated with almost any 
female, regardless of color, size or kind; so if you desire to mate 
any particular male with any particular female, all that is 
necessary is to shut them up together for a few days. Of course, 
they should be given food, water and grit during that time, and 
should have a place where it would be possible for them to 
make a nest. Large space, however, is not necessary. A small 
coop with tw^o 01 three square feet of floor space is all that is 
needed. The mating coop should be sufficiently ventilated, yet 
free from drafts, as birds will catch cold quicker shut up in a 
small place tlian in an open joom. 

Nev/ly mated births must be left together long enough to be- 
come well mated before putting them in with other birds lest 
tliey separaL'\ ]f tiiey are to be put back where their old mates 
are, they must be kej^t away several weeks or they will likely 
separate and go back to their old mates. 

The statement that any pigeon will mate with most any other 
pigeon does not mean that I sanction or believe in the plan of 
crossing breeds. On the contrary, I am very much opposed to 
crossing breeds, as it is not practical to create new breeds, and 
mongrels geiierally inherit the inferior ciualities of both parents. 
Elsewhere in this book, will be' found an article on this subject. 



MATING AND SELECTION OP BREEDING STOCK 139 

HOW TO TELL MALE FROM FEMALE 

With most breeds of pigeons, the male is a little larger than 
the female. He has a coarser look, thicker neck and larger legs 
and feet. These differences can only be readily noticed by com- 
parison or by those who are not only familiar with pigeons, 
but with that particular breed. The age of the birds must be 
ccrsidercd. An old female is apt to be taken for a young male if 
one is judging by looks only or comparing two males or two 
females of different age. In such a case they are apt to pick 
the old bird for the male and the younger for the female. As a 
rule the male is more muscular, stronger and masculine. The 
best method to use, however, to tell the sex is to watch the birds 
in their everyday life. 

There are many ways that I can tell the female from the 
male that it would be difficult for me to fully explain. For in- 
stance, they drink and eat differently. The difference is so slight 
that you can only learn it by experience in watching them. A 
male will fly a little different than a female on special occasions. 
Their general carriage and actions in the fly pen and loft are 
different, all of which is hard to describe, but can he detected 
if you will give tiie matter careful study and attention. 

Here are some ol the most common ways of distinguishing 
the sexes: the female bird can be found on the nest when she 
has eggs or small squabs early in the morning, late in the after- 
noon, or at night. The male is on the nest between 9 or 10 
o'clock and 3 or 4 o'clock, except during the laying period, when 
the female is apt to be on the nest any time during the day. 
The male carries the straws to build the nest with, and the 
female sets on the nest and arranges them in order. The male 
will usually get in the nest box and call its mate by long, 
cooing, monotone sounds, when they are mating up, or just 
prior to building a nest. A male will fight quicker and harder 
than a female. A male will whirl clear around when he is 
cooing on the floor or in the fly pen, while the female, if she 
coos at all, will not turn over a quarter or half way round. A 
male will strut along after another bird, coo and drag his tail 
on the ground, walking around in a proud, prancing way, with 
his head up and neck swelled out. A female will do very 
little strutting and will carry her body more horizontally as she 



140 AMERICAN SQUAB CUl/fURE 

struts, and will do very little cooing. The feathers on the end 
of the male's tail are generally worn out and the feathers on 
the female's tail are usually in perfect condition. This is caused 
by the male dragging his tail on the ground when strutting and, 
as a rule, is a very good means of telling the sex. 

After a pair of pigeons have become mated, they will be found 
together more or less until they lay and go to setting. They gen- 
erally start to building a nest several days before they lay and 
during that time they do a lot of spooning, lovemaking or 
kissing. Here again the male bird can be distinguished from 
the female by its actions. The male bird will pick behind one 
wing at intervals during the billing i)rocess. The male bird 
then op(Mis his mouth or beak, in which the female inserts her 
beak, and the two go through a pumping like motion. This is 
called kissing. Billing is another term for kissing. If a male 
birds wants to kiss, and the female is not particular, he will walk 
around picking himself under the wing and working his throat 
like he was swallowing f-omething. If a female wants to kiss 
and the male is indisposed, she will run up to his side, and 
stretch lier head u|) to his, fimibling around his l)eak and over 
his head with her beak. The male seems to enjoy this and will 
often sit down and shut his eyes, while the female keeps up her 
fondling. 

There are several old-fashioned tests for determining the sex 
of pigeons, l)ut I have never found any of them very dependable. 
It is said that if you catch a female around the body, holding 
her wings down to her body with both hands, then throw the 
hands up and down, she will throw her tail up, while the male 
held in the same position and with the same movement will 
throw his tail down. 

Another test is ma(l(> in the dark with a candh^ or lamp. The 
male is supposed to look directly at the light and the female 
to one side. All such tests more or less remind me of the fel- 
low^ who said he positively could tell a male from a female by 
throwing some hemp in where the bird was. Then, if he ate 
the heiTip, it was a he, and if she ate it, it was a she. 

A fairly good sex test is to feel of the vent bones. On the male 
they are generally very close together, and on the female they 
are se})ai'ated, one-half inch or more. This test applies better 
with birds a year old or inor(% or after tliey have started to lay. 



AlATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 



U\ 



The vent bones of a female are separated enough to permit the 
laying of an c^j^^. The hal)its of the male and female are vei-y 
different and by a little experiene(>, study and close ohsei'vation 
it becomes rather easy to distinguish one from tiie other. 

THE GROWTH OF A SQUAB 

Pigeons mate and start to raising s(iuabs betvv'.MMi the age of 
five and eight months. They lay two eggs only foi* a setting, the 
first egg generally Ijeiug laid in the morning and the n(>xt egg the 




SQUABS SEVERAL DAYS OLD 



142 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE . 

third morning thereafter, there being no egg laid the second 
day. After the second egg is laid, they immediately go to set- 
ting. If the weather is extremely cold the mother bird will 
hover the first egg sufficiently enough to keep from freezing, 
but not enough to start incubation until the second egg is laid; 
thus the hatching of the two eggs takes place about the same 
time. It takes seventeen days for pigeon eggs to hatch after 
the pigeon starts to set. As explained elsewhere, the male bird 
takes his turn daily on the nest with the female. 

When the squabs are first hatched, they are very tender and 
delicate, more like a baby than a chicken from the standpoint of 
being helphss. The parent birds cover their young ones for 
several days avtei- they are hatched to keep them from chilling 
cww in warm ueatlier, and for a longer period in cold weather. 

I'ntil a s<juab is four or five days old it cannot take grain 
into its crop, and is fed a gruel-like substance called pigeon 
milk that forms in the crop of the parent birds after they have 
been setting about 15 days. Then the parent birds begin to feed 
them small grain, which is always mixed with a good portion 
of water, keeping the young ones' crops well filled at all times. 
The young birds grow very rapidly. 

A pigeon egg is about the size of a hickory nut, a squab four 
(lays old is twice the size of a hickory nut, and when a week old 
is as large as a hens egg or small chicken. They continue to 
double in size about every v\eek, until they are as large as the 
old bird at four and one-half weeks old. When a squab is first 
hatched it is covereel with a very fine down like a small chicken, 
pin feathers start in the wings and tail and along the top of its 
back immediately. At two weeks of age it is well covered with 
pin feathers, and the feathers are developed to such an extent 
that its color can be fairly well determined. At four weeks of 
age it is feathered out almost completely with little bare spaces 
on its side under the wings. When the bare space under the 
wings is covered with feathers, then the squab is old enough to 
kill, and if not killed it will soon leave the nest. 

Se[uabs do not leave the nest or fly until they are four and 
a half or five weeks old, and they cannot feed themselves until 
after that age. Once a squab leaves the nest it starts to getting 
poor, which is caused by exercise and the lack of being stuffed 
with food by its parents. A squab should be killed and market- 



MATING AND SELECTION OP BREEDING STOCK 



143 



ed before it leaves the nest. It begins to get tougli and is not 
very good to eat after five wfeeks of age. 

The quick mushroom growth and the lack of exercise is what 
makes squab meat so tender and delicious.' Some breeders have 
classified squabs by giving them different names at different 
ages. They are first called peepers, as they make a small peep- 
ing noise about the time they are ten days old; they are next 
called squeakers until they are two or three weks old, then 
squealers until they are four weeks old, when they are called 
squabs. These names are taken from the noise that a squab 
makes. They first peep, then squeak, then squeal when they are 
hungry and wish to be fed, and will keep up the squealing noise 
until seven or eight weeks old. 




SQUAB TWO WEEKS OLD 



144 ^ AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Squabs have a larger beak than old pigeons, and this furnishes 
a good means of distinguishing squabs from old birds. Until 
they are eight to ten weeks old the beak is very soft and ap- 
pears large. One reason for this is the lack of feathers around 
the beak, which grow down as the bird gets older. 

ANATOMY OF THE PIGEON 

Mr. J. W. Williamson of Glassboro, N. J., has been kind 
enough to furnish me the drawings of the inside of a pigeon 
which are here reproduced together with his description of same: 

How true is the saying: "We are fearfully and wonderfully 
made," and as we study the frame of men with its wonderful 
organism held intact and the wonderful meclianism of each 
organ, one depending upon the other fulfiUing their several 
i unctions with the heart pumicing away day and night from 
l)irth till death, it is no wonder we look with amazement at our 
own construction. But can we not find something interesting 
in the construction of the squab or pigeon? I believe we can, 
which will be fully covered in a book I have well under way, 
entitled: "The Anatomy of the Pigeon." In this chapter how- 
ever, will be found three important plates, the squab, male bird 
and female, which T believe of value to the squab raiser. 

It is surprising to note how fully developed are the organs of 
a squab, as when only four weeks old. The respiratory organs, 
the heart, liver, gizzard and intestines appear as fully devel- 
oped as a bird one or fifteen years old, and the carcass in many 
cases the same size as its parents, but with fowls it takes a 
squab broiler chick a year to get the growth of its parents. 

Plate I. is a photograph of a squab 4 weeks old. Figure 1 
shows the heart on the right side, just the reverse of the human 
being, 2 the liver, 3 the gizzard and 4 the intestines. 

In dissecting a female pigeon the first thing that excites a 
person's curiosity is the difference between a female and female 
fowl. As will be noticed in the ovary, commonly called the egg 
bag, there is not a large quantity of eggs as there is in a fowl. 
In a fowl they gradually increase in size due to laying every 
day or skipping a day now and then. But with the pigeon they 
are noticed in pairs as the pigeon lays two eggs close together, 
and then does not lay again until the embryo is grown into a 
squab, 2, 3 or 4 weeks old. 



MATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 145 




THE INSIDE OF A SQUAB* 
1. The Heart. 2. The Liver. 3. The Gizzard. 4. The Intestines. 



146 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 




1, — Aesophagus 

2. — Trachea 

3. — Bronchial Tube 

4. — Lung 

5. — Testicle 

6. — Kidney 



MALE PK lEON 

7.— Ureter 
8. — Vas Deferens 
9. — Rectum 
10. — Vent Bones 
11. — Anus 



MATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 14? 



JZC I 




^ 


/ — ^^H 

X W| 




!■ 


3 ^1 




4 "^^jk^imf 


H^H 




'mm 










^i 


^H^ 




^^ 


e ^K 


1^^^ 


^' 




"V^^mi'i 


^'^ 



FEMALE PIGEON 
1. — Two small eggs with the ovary. 
2. — Two eggs a triflle smaller than the above. 
3. — Two that are about ready to enter the oviduct. 
4. — Oviduct. 

5. — Egg almost ready to be released. 

fi.— Extended vent bones, showing the great distance bet\Vc:en 
them Compared to the male bird. 



148 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

HOW TO KEEP AN EQUAL NUMBER OF MALES 
AND FEMALES 

One or the dil'ticultics ot a squab plant is to keep down the 
percentage of extra cocks, which accumulate in excess of fe- 
males lor various I'easons. In this respect nature seems to be 
at fault, for there is not a single exception in the favor of the 
life of a female over the life of a male. 

If one egg fails to hatch, invariably it is the female egg. If 
a yoinig squab gets trampled to death in the nest, it is usually 
the smallest one, which is generally the female. The male and 
larger squab crowds the smaller ones away at the feeding time 
and in such cases the larger squabs continue to grow and get 
strong and tlie small ones, the females, stand back and some- 
times starve to death. 

Females are more delicate -and subject to colds and this often- 
times causes their death. Ttiey are often driven so hard by 
the males that they get poor and finally die. The natural life 
of a female is shorter than the life of the male. 

\\'ith these things taken into consideration there is usually 
((uite a percentage of odd cocks to be disposed of, unless one 
nianii)ulates and disposes of the male bird as a squab. By a 
systematic method, one can guard against the over production 
of male birds, which is necessary in order to make a squab 
l)lant as profita])le as possible. 

The larger squab in the nest is invariably the male, so in 
taking them out of the nest for market purposes, one should 
save a few of the smaller ones for breeding purposes. It is a 
good plan to jiand these birds then and there, so that the next 
time you are around gathering squabs, you will know that the 
odd squab in the nest is a female. It is hard to tell the sex of 
young birds, especially at squabbing time, unless you are famil- 
iar with the flock. 

Different flocks of l)irds have difl'erent characteristic markings 
that enable one to determine the male from the female the ma- 
jority of the time. This is especially true with color marking. For 
instance, most of the male birds from a certain pair will be 
marked in a similar way and most of the females will also have 
a separate marking. In such cases it is an easy matter to tell 
the sex of the young birds as soon as they get their feathers. 



MATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 149 

One of the best ways to keep the sex even is to cull out tlie 
smaller inferior males and remate their mates with yovmg 
cocks of size and quality. Tliis can be done without loss of squab 
[)roduction, if the remating is done when there are no eggs 
or yoinig that would be neglected or when there is but one egg 
or one sc[uab that can be transferred to another nest. Sec 
articles "When But One Egg Hatches" and "How To Tell the 
' Period of Incul)ation," i)ages 155 and 156. 

WHAT TO DO WITH ODD COCKS 

A good method is to have a separate j)en for odd cocks and 
nothing but good, high grade cocks should be kept in that pen. 
The small and runty ones should be disposed of or turned loose 
or into soup. Then as fast as your young females get old 
enough to mate, they should be turned into the pen of odd cocks, 
or a still better plan is to select special birds from yoiu- odd 
cock pen and i)ut them in e(|ual nundiers with young females 
in another peji. As soon as mated each pair should be taken 
out and put iji with other lireeders. This method will cause 
the female to mate up a little earlier than they would with 
young cocks and will enal)le you to grade your flock up by 
selecting your best odd males for your young females. 

You can also draw from your pen of odd cocks to replace small 
and inferior males that you notice from time to time in your 
plant. It is better to dispose of any inferior odd male even if 
you have to give it away, than to keep it, for it only consumes 
feed and will never be of any value for breeding purposes. 

You will always have more cocks than hens for breeding pur- 
[)oses, so why keep inferior odd cocks at a dead loss and expense? 
Keep only the extra good ones and turn the others loose, give 
thrm away to people that might be able to use them, or make 
souf) out of them, but don't keep them. 

BEST METHOD TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF A FLOCK 

Most i)eople start at the v.rong end or backwards to improve 
tlie quality of a flock of breeders. If a majority of a flock of 
birds was perfect, it might be better to .separate the perfect birds, 
then discard the others, but as a perfect bird is practically im- 
possibl(\ and a large majority of every flock is far from perfect, 
it is best to stani't in at the inferior end to improve the flock. 



15C AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

If you should pick out your best birds and put them by them- 
selves, you would reduce the average quality of your pens; but, 
on the contrary, if you eliminate your poorest and inferior birds, 
you improve the average quality of your flock. 

I have tried out a plan of segregating my most perfect birds 
into a single pen and saving their offspring to improve my 
breeding stock. This, in a way, will work fairly well, but as 
all the offspring of all good looking pairs are not up to the 
standard of their parents, one would be making slow progress 
in saving such birds for breeding purposes, even though they 
come from birds of apparent quality. I have noticed many 
people practice this method, and invariably they save from their 
best pens youngsters for breeding purposes which are far inferior 
to the best youngsters produced in other pens. 

One should go through his plant once or twice a week spotting 
birds to be taken out, when by doing so no eggs or young will 
be lost For instance, we see a small, under-average cock in 
pen No. 10. We investigate and find that he is also a slow 
breeder or that his squabs are not large and fat as a rule. We 
then decide to take him and his mate out. We find, however, 
that they have eggs or young ones, so we make a calculation 
as to the time they can be removed and on that date we finish 
the work started a week or even a month before. The mate, if 
a good average bird, is remated with a good cock and put back 
to work. All culled out birds can be used for soup, sold on the 
market or jobbed off in a lot to some one who is not particular 
about quality. In short, I advise the improvement of quality 
by methods of elimination rather than by special selections. 

SELECTION OF YOUNGSTERS FOR BREEDING 
PURPOSES 

Like the rearing and breeding of cattle, horses, hogs or any 
other animal, much depends upon the parent stock and the 
grading and building up of the stock to be kept to breed from. 

The size of your flock, the size the flock is desired to be in- 
creased to, the time of the year, and the rapidity in which you 
desire to increase has considerable to do with the selecting 
method. However, there are several cardinal principles you 
must follow when saving young birds for breeding purposes, 



MATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 151 

and the closer you follow these principles, the fewer exceptions 
you make, the better will be the results. 

To start with, if you save youngsters from inferior pairs, 
naturally those youngsters will not be as good for breeding 
purposes as the youngsters saved from your best pairs. What 
I mean by best is breeders that are of good average size, good 
type, and have produced a large number of fat, healthy squabs. 
The parents must necessarily, therefore, besides other qualities, 
be motherly, good feeders and domestic. Youngsters saved 
from this class of breeders will, on an average, prove better 
all around birds and more dependable for squab producing 
purposes than youngsters saved from birds which are too large, 
too small, or out of breeders slow and lazy or poor feeders. By 
the latter term I mean a bird that does not feed or take care of 
its squabs well. 

If an old bird comes from a good strain, and is not quite up 
to the standard itself, its youngsters are often superior to 
youngsters produced by birds of an inferior strain, even though 
they are of a fair size and type. This is a point worth considering. 

The best time of the year to save youngsters for breeding pur- 
poses is in the winter or spring, for the reason that they will 
grow to maturity, pass through the moult, mate and start breed- 
ing before cold weather, and then continue to breed all winter; 
while birds that do not get old enough to mate before cold 
weather are apt to sit around all winter and not start to work 
until spring, but there is no set rule on this. 

I have found that youngsters will not produce many squabs 
before they are eight or nine months old, and in the long run, 
it is about as well to mate them up at that age as it is to crowd 
them. It is never a good plan to save every youngster for 
breeding purposes even if you are in a hurry to increase your 
flock. 

Care should be taken when selecting youngsters to save an 
equal number of each sex. As the largest and best looking 
squab is invariably the male, and the small, inferior looking 
squab the female, you will find the majority of the birds saved 
are males unless you guard against it. As a rule, there is a male 
and female in each nest, so it is a fairly safe method to save 
both birds or nest mates, instead of just the best looking ones. 

Some breeders, in order to guard against saving more males 



15" AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

than females, use a small open band and band the smaller of 
the two nest mates, when they are about three weeks old, taking 
for granted that the smaller one is a female. Then when they 
take out squabs to market they leave the banded bird in the 
nest, and the next time they are around taking out squabs, they 
know that the single bird in the nest is a female. Otherwise, 
if they have a large plant and could not remember, they would 
naturally conclude that there was only one bird raised in the 
nest, and it was a male. 

If just one egg hatches, it is invariably the male, and if a bird 
dies in the nest, it is generally the female, for the reason that 
the male is stronger, as a rule, and will come nearer picking its 
way out of the shell and with more vitality will be less apt to 
die than its sister. 

If you should make a mistake and save more females than 
males you can easily secure enough odd males from some other 
breeder to even up your stock, but if you save more males than 
females, it is very hard to secure the necessary odd females, 
for the reason that most all breeders have a surplus of males, 
and are short on females. 

If you are breeding for color, as well as size, type and other 
qualities, you can judge your birds fairly well after they are 
about three weeks old, to such an extent that the best color 
could be saved. With Carneaux, for instance, when solid reds 
are desired, all youngsters that have light or slate colored rumps 
will invariably prove to be splashes, or slates, after they shed 
their baby feathers, and about as much can be told regarding 
color at three weeks old as later on until after they have gone 
through .their first moult, which takes place when they are 
about three months old. 

Most all Cameaux look to be solid reds when they are squabs, 
but at the time they moult out their second feathers, they then 
take on their pennanent color. The same is true to a large 
extent with other varieties. Personally, I am opposed to breed- 
ing for color unless you are desirous of raising show birds or 
birds for exhibition purposes. 

There is very little or no advantage in color from a breeding 
standpoint. In fact, there is more often a disadvantage. Birds 
of one color will produce as good and as many squabs as birds 
of the same breed of another color. The only question is the 



MATING AND SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK 153 

color of the meat or skin. Dark meated squabs do not bring 
as good a price as white meated ones, and birds. with dark 
beaks and dark, muddy colored feathers invariably bring dark 
meated squabs. Black birds, if their feathers are clear, real 
black and not muddy looking, will breed squabs with almost 
as white meat as will birds with white feathers. Again, re- 
ferring to Carneaux, dark billed birds with slate or dark feath- 
ers are more apt to breed dark meated youngsters than birds 
with light beaks (no slate or blue) and light colored feathers. 
White feathers on Carneaux are no objection, because red and 
white is their natural color, and, in fact, on an average, they 
are better than the solid reds or solid yellows. 

Let me illustrate. The natural color of Durham cattle is red 
and white or roan. If a breeder of Durham cattle would decide 
to draw the color line and keep only his red calves, or those 
that had no white, for breeding purposes, he would from the 
very start be forced to sacrifice other qualities for color, and in 
a short time he wt)uld find his herd below its standard from 
the standpoint of milk, butter or beef. A cattle breeder would 
laugh at you if you were to even suggest his discarding all but 
his solid color calves, and would tell you he would be doing 
away with many of the best calves from his best breeders. 



CHAPTER XII 
PROPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 

SOFT SHELLED EGGS 

A soft shelled egg is one that is covered only by a tough skin 
and is without the hard shell covering. This is generally 
caused by the old bird not having been provided with a suf- 
ficient amount of oyster shell or other limey substance. Robbing 
the old birds' nest a couple or three times in succession will 
also cause soft shell eggs. Pigeons are not like chickens in 
this respect. A hen will lay any number of eggs consecutively, 
and invariably be able to manufacture a sufficient amount of 
shell to cover her eggs, but a pigeon is only intended to lay 
two eggs, and then set and raise their young to two or three 
weeks of age before laying again. 

Once a pigeon lays soft shelled eggs, it is necessary to keep 
her from laying again for at least a month; if not, she will 
probably continue to lay soft shelled eggs. The best thing to 
do when a soft shelled egg is found, is to put the pigeon that 
laid it to setting by substituting an egg with a good shell in 
her nest, even though it is an infertile or old egg. If it is an 
infertile egg take it away from her after two weeks' setting, just 
before she has accumulated pigeon milk in her crop. Then 
after a week or ten days' rest, she will lay again, and the 
chances are her eggs will be properly shelled. If the egg is 
fertile, let her hatch it and take the squab away from her after 
it is four or five days old, allowing the time for her to feed up 
the accumulated pigeon milk in her crop. Or if you wish you 
can allow her to raise the squab in the usual way. 

BARREN FEMALES 

Some females, for unknown reasons, cease to be producers, 
that is, they quit laying. If such birds mate up and build nests, 
which they often do, they can be utilized as foster mothers, by 
merely giving them a couple of eggs to set on in their nests. 
Such birds are called "barren females." They will often hatch 
and raise squabs as well or better than some regular mothers, 

lo4 



t>ROPER CAHE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 155 

I have put barren hens to work by making a nest for them, 
and putting tlie eggs in it. Of course, it is necessary for them 
to have a mate, and a nest box that they claim for their home, 
otherwise they will not want to set. 

A "barren" hen often comes in good play when you have 
special squabs to raise; that is, one you desire to give special 
attention to on account of it being from a prize winning pair, 
and you desire to divide the squabs up into two nests so that 
each will receive the entire feed and attention of a pair of 
old birds. 

If a "barren" female will not set on other birds' eggs and will 
not lay any herself, turn her out, kill her or give her to someone 
who wants a useless pet. 

WHEN BUT ONE EGG HATCHES, OR WHEN 
ONE SQUAB DIES 

The number of squabs per pair can be increased by the proper 
management of a squab plant, which includes keeping the 
birds up to their full capacity. A good pair of squab breeders 
will, with proper food and loft conditions, feed two or three 
squabs successfully. The thing to do, therefore, is to double 
up the single squabs with others the same size and by relieving 
the parent birds of the care of the single squab they will go 
back to work and lay a week or two sooner than if the squab 
was left in their nest to care for. 

This plan can be carried on successfully to the extent of tak- 
ing two squabs from a nest, placing one each in two other nests, 
making six squabs in two nests, instead of six squabs in three 
nests. The squabless pair will re-lay a week or ten days sooner 
than otherwise and in the course of several months the time 
gained in this manner will make a noticeable increase in the 
number of squabs raised. 

The transferring of squabs should not be done until they are 
four or five days old, so that the parent birds will have a chance 
to feed out the pigeon milk in their crops and the squabs should 
be given to birds that are the best feeders. 

Often a pair proves to be good layers, but are not good feeders, 
which can be determined by the size and condition of their 
squabs. Such pairs can be kept fairly busy laying and the best 



156 . AMERicAisr squab culture^ 

feeders be given extra work to do in the way of squab feeding. 

If your loft is small and you only have a few birds, it may 
be necessary for you to do some extra shifting or juggling of 
squabs to accomplish your purpose. That is, you may not have 
other birds with squabs the same age as the pair you wish to 
rob. In such case you can double the largest squab in the nest 
with the largest in another nest and the two smaller ones the 
same, then put your extra squabs in the nests with squabs 
nearest their size. Often by increasing or decreasing the size 
of the squabs in two or three nests by transferring them from 
one nest to another, you can double up odd squabs to an ad- 
vantage When on first thought one would think it could not 
be done. 

The best time to transfer squabs is just before night when the 
female is on the nest, and when she will go back to nest (if she 
leaves it when you are making the change) hurriedly and not 
stop to notice that there are strange birds in her nest. If the 
young ones are about the same size and color, it will make no 
difference and they can be changed most any time of the day. 
If squabs are well feathered and of a different color, it is best 
to watch the old birds to see if they take kindly to the strangers 
in their nest, as the old birds are apt to fight and kill them 
under such conditions. 

As a rule, the parent birds will feed and care for any squab 
you put in the nest, unless there is too great a difference in the 
size and color, and some birds will not draw the line at that; 
they seem to take it for granted that all squabs in their nest 
are theirs. 

The plan of doubling up squabs cannot be followed very suc- 
cessfully in cold weather as the old bird cannot keep three 
squabs warm as well as she can two. 

HOW TO TELL THE PERIOD OF INCUBATION 

When a pigeon egg is first laid it has a clear transparent look, 
which it loses by degrees as it is set on, until it becomes very 
opaque, and has a bluish, slick cast just before the squab is 
hatched. By comparison, and a little experience, one can closely 
estimate the length of time an egg has been set on. 

This knowledge is essential when running a squab plant of 



PROPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 157 

any size; for it is frequently necessary to switch eggs from 
one nest to another, and eggs so switched should be of about 
the same length of incubation as the eggs with which they are 
put. This is necessary in order to have them hatch about the 
seventeenth day after the old bird went to setting. If they 
hatch much sooner than that, the old bird will not be able to 
feed them, on account of not having any accumulated pigeon 
milk in its crop, and if they do not hatch within eighteen or 
nineteen days, the old bird will likely leave the nest before the 
eggs are hatched. 

Some breeders follow the plan of robbing a nest and putting 
the eggs in a couple of other nests, making three in each nest, 
and in this way allow the birds whose nest was robbed, to 
lay two more eggs and again start to setting. This is not a bad 
practice, provided the parent birds of the three squabs are able 
to keep them well fed and fat, which depends something upon 
the feeding qualities of the old birds, and the kind and supply 
of feed they are getting. 

J think it is a good plan to lob all nests that have but one egg 
on account of the other egg liaving been broken or laid on the 
floor. I also think it a good plan to rob each nest that has but 
one squab in it, and double that squab up with some other nest 
witli a single squab, or with two other squabs that are being 
well fed and are of about the same age. Squabs should not 
ne taken out of a nest, however, until four or five days old, 
for the reason that it is necessary to the health of the parent 
bird that they feed out the supply of pigeon milk that has ac- 
cunuilated in their crops while setting. 

Parent birds are not able to distinguisli their young ones from 
any other ones until they are feathered out; therefore, they will 
feed any other squab about the same size as their own if put 
into their nests. They go more by what is in their nests, than 
what the squab looks like. If there is too great a difference in 
size, however, they are apt to kill strange young ones put into 
their nests by picking them on the head or back. 

Some parent birds will Ix'come foster mothers quicker than 
others, and some will care for and feed any number of squabs 
put into their nests, almost regardless of size or color. You 
can easily determine this by watching the parent bird go back 



158 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

to its nest alter you have put the squab in. If they are going 
to fight the squabs at all, they will do so at once. 

By a little planning and manipulation, extra squabs can be 
placed around in a loft to an advantage, and so that they will 
be cared for by the old ones. A three weeks' old squab, for 
instance, can be doubled up with the larger bird in a two weeks' 
old nest, and the smaller bird of that nest doubled up with the 
squabs in a week or ten days' old nest. 

Parent birds will not feed their squabs in any other nest but 
their own, unless squabs are around four weeks old and then 
they will feed them if on the floor, or if they are shut up together, 
but they would not go into a strange nest and feed their own 
squabs even at that age. 

Eggs that are found on the floor or in a fly pen should be 
gathered up and put in a nest with other freshly laid eggs, or 
such eggs can be saved some time before setting, and handled 
the same as you would hen eggs, by turning them over every 
day or so. A pigeon will not set in any other place except the 
nest where they laid their eggs, and only then immediately 
after the eggs are laid. 

WHEN BOTH SQUABS DIE BEFORE THREE DAYS OLD 

If squabs die in hatching, get trampled to death or die before 
three days old, it is a good plan to give the old birds a squab 
from another nest for a day or two in order that they can feed 
out the pigeon milk that has accumulated in their crops. In 
doing this it is all right, if necessary, to give them a young one 
a few days older than the ones they lose, as they will feed the 
larger bird just the same and even if it is old enough to receive 
grain, pigeon milk will not hurt it 

The only precaution to take in such a case is to see that the 
old birds do not fight the strange squab, which they might do 
if there is too much difference in size. 

If the young die in hatching, a young squab can be put in the 
nest along with an egg or two and the parent birds will accept 
it as their own. Just before night is the best time to make such 
transfer and always before the old birds have abandoned the 
nest, which they will do in a day or so after eggs fail to hatch 
or almost immediately after squabs die in hatching. 

The transfei'red or loaned squab should be left in the nest 



PROPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 159 

only a few days, then taken away and the old birds be allowed 
to re-lay and go to setting again. ' (See article on "When One 
Squab Dies.") If the parent birds are good feeders and they 
for some reason lose one or both squabs or their eggs do not 
hatch, the transferred squabs can be left with them and the 
other pair be put to laying again. 

ONE SQUAB SMALLER THAN THE OTHER 

This subject is practically covered in the article entitled 
"When One Squab Dies," as the process of switching squabs 
into other nests is the same. That is, both larger and the 
smaller squabs should be paired up with other squabs of their 
size, by changing them to other nests. If this is not done, the 
larger squab will continue to get larger and the smaller one 
will stop growing. 

There is usually a slight difference in the size of two squabs 
in a nest, but when one squab is considerably larger than its 
nest mate, the larger one is evidently getting more than his 
share of the feed and the larger and stronger he gets, the more 
apt he is to stretch his neck and head above his weaker nest 
mate at feeding time, with the result that the old bird will give 
him the feed and the little one will go without. 

Some old birds will see that both the squabs are fed even though 
one is smaller, but as a rule such old birds bring their young ones 
up in even size; therefore, when one squab in the nest is larger 
than the other, you can take it for granted the old bird is not 
feeding the smaller one and that one or both the birds should be 
switched to another nest. It is not a bad plan to switch the 
larger bird and leave the small one in the nest for a few days 
for the old one to feed, after which it can be switched and the 
old birds put to work. 

OLD BIRDS THAT ABANDON THEIR EGGS 

Pigeons will abandon their eggs for several causes. Lice or 
mites will cause them to do so, and dirty or foul nests will 
cause them to abandon them or leave their eggs. Sometimes 
they will leave without apparently any cause, except that they 
seemingly get tired of setting and sometimes this becomes a 
habit. 

About the best thing in such cases is to remate the birds or 



160 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

give tliem some young squabs to feed after they have set on their 
eggs about a week, taking the eggs aw^ay from them. The 
squabs will necessarily have to be old enough to be fed grain, 
as the parent birds will have no pigeon milk in their crops 
at this stage of setting. Care should be taken if squabs are put 
in such pigeons' nests to see that they are fed and that the old 
birds do not fight them, as is explained elsewhere. 

Naturally, if birds abandon their eggs on account of lice or 
mites, the proper remedy should be applied to rid them of same, 
and if the nests are too foul they should be cleaned. Young 
pairs of birds will often abandon their eggs before hatching the 
first time, but later will stick to the nest until the eggs are 
1 latched. Some males will not do their turn on the nests to- 
wards the last of the incubation, preferring to put in their 
time flirting with other females, and this as a rule will cause 
the female on the nest to desert her eggs. Some females will 
give up setting in order to get out with their mate. The remedy 
for this is separation and re-mating with different birds. 

SQUABS THAT LEAVE THE NEST TOO SOON 

The principal cause of squabs leaving the nest before time, 
is lack of feed or water, too hot or too stuffy nests, being neg- 
lected by their parents or because the nests are so near the 
floor that they can easily get out to meet their parent birds when 
they come to feed and water them. 

This is one of the objectionable features of allowing birds 
to nest on or near the floor. After a squab gets the habit of 
running around on the floor, it is hard to get it to stay in a nest 
and generally such squabs will become poor and stunted. About 
the best way to remedy this condition is to transfer squabs from 
nest on the floor to other nests before they get very old. 

Some old birds will persist in building on the floor. When 
they do, their eggs should be taken away from them a couple of 
times and the pair changed to another nest room. As a rule only 
poor squabs leave the nest too early and the longer they are out 
the poorer and more scrubby they get. Sometimes such squabs 
can be induced to stay in a high nest, but if not a couple of slats 
tacked across the front of the nest box will prevent them from 
climbing out, yet permit the old birds to feed the young through 
the spaces between the slats. 



PROPER CARE OP SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 161 

About the best thing to do with runty squabs is to kill them 
and try and change the conditions that caused them to get poor, 
or that caused them to leave the nest too soon and then become 
poor. An underfed squab becomes stunted and will never im- 
prove very much. If allowed to grow up they are generally 
under sized birds and inferior in many ways. 



WHEN TO REMOVE SQUABS FROM NEST ROOM 

Squabs that are to be kept for breeders should be left in the 
nest room until seven or eight weeks old. This is a much longer 
period than is practiced by the average breeder. The parent 
birds, especially the male bird, will feed squabs quite a while 
longer after they leave the nest, and if there are several birds 
in a nest room there will most likely be several pairs that are 
feeding youngsters on the floor after they have left the nest. 
In such cases squabs six, seven and often eight weeks old will 
receive on the floor some feed from the parents of younger 
squabs. In this way youngsters receive some help until they 
get past the delicate age. 

Squabs that are left in the nest room a few weeks after they 
are weaned, seem to get a much better start and do much better 
after they are taken out of the nest room and put to themselves. 
One thing that benefits squabs by allowing them to remain 
several weeks in the nest room after they are weaned, is that 
they learn the location of the water fountain or trough and the 
feed boxes during the time when they are receiving some feed 
from the old birds. Youngsters often die for the want of water 
if transferred when too young to a pen where the watering 
arrangement is hard to get to, located in another portion of the 
room or of different construction than was used in the room 
they were transferred from. The best plan is to provide the 
same watering and feeding systems for each pen. 

The best plan, especially with a large plant, is to catch and 
remove squabs from the nest room to the rearing rooms once 
a week, having a special time for same each week, taking out 
only a few of the largest and most thrifty ones from seven to 
eight weeks old, 



162 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

HOW TO CARE FOR SQUABS AFTER THEY LEAVE NEST 

As stated in my article, "When to Remove Squabs from Nest 
Room," squabs that are to be kept for breeders, should be left 
in the nest room with their parents until about seven or eight 
weeks old, at which time they should be removed to a separate 
compartment, where they can be given special care and atten- 
tion. Young pigeons at that age are, as a rule, very delicate, 
easy to catch cold, and sometimes lose their appetite to such an 
extent that they become very weak and often die. 

There are four necessary things to the successful care of a 
young pigeon. First, they must be provided with a room which 
has plenty of fresh air and free from drafts. The room must be 
at all times dry, warm in the winter and cool in the summer. 

Special precaution must be taken to guard against colds in a 
climate where the days are warm and the nights are cool. 
Under such conditions the temperature of the room should be 
regulated by opening the doors in the middle of the day and 
closing them at night. 

If the floor of the room is damp, it is best to place some low 
boxes around the wall or run a little shelf around the edge of 
the room for the youngsters to run on.- Often there is a draft 
that can hardly be detected an inch or two off the floor, that 
will cause young birds to catch cold. They are very susceptible 
to a draft, and too much precaution cannot be taken to guard 
against it. 

Second, a sufficient supply of good feed must be provided for 
the young birds. As a rule they are small eaters just after they 
are weaned, and unless a constant supply of rich, nourishing 
food is kept before them, some of the youngsters will not eat 
enough to keep them alive. One can well afford to feed birds 
at this age choice and more expensive food than is usually re- 
quired for the reason that they will eat but little anyway, and 
the added expense for good food will be more than made up in 
the results secured. 

A good variety of grain should be furnished so that if a bird 
does not like one kind of feed, there will be a chance of it liking 
another. Young squabs are very finicky when it comes to eat- 
ing. Some will pick at nothing except white or light colored 
grains, while others will pass up everything but dark colored 



iPiROPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 163 

feed. Some will try to pick all of the large grains such as large 
peas, while others will eat nothing but small grains. I have 
even seen them refuse to eat anything larger than millet. There- 
fore, a good assortment of grains is necessary, which should 
include a small percentage of hemp, and especially so in cold 
or damp weather when birds do not seem to eat freely. 

The feed should be kept in a convenient place and not very 
far away from where the youngsters are in the habit of staying. 

Third, a good supply of fresh water must be kept within 
easy reach of the youngsters. The water should be warm in 
winter and cool in the summer time. Hot water in summer is 
apt to give squabs a sour crop and if the water is too cold in 
the winter time, they will not drink freely of it. Water should 
not be allowed to stand any length of time in the squab house, 
as it draws impurities and young birds are very susceptible to 
ailments. 

Fourth, a good supply of grit, oyster shell and charcoal must 
be kept within easy reach of the young birds. A mixture of one 
part salt and five parts charcoal, measured by weight, is a 
splendid thing for young birds. The salt will cause them to eat 
the charcoal, which aids their digestion and keeps them healthy. 
Salt will also make them thirsty and lots of water is very bene 
ticial to youngsters. 

A good plan is to sprinkle coarse sand or grit on the floor 
daily. They will find the gravel in this way, while if it is put 
in a receptacle they will not see it and are not apt to eat it if 
they do. 

I favor the same nesting arrangement for young birds as for 
old ones (that is the double nest box system as is described 
herein), for the reason that it furnishes plenty of roosting 
places, and the birds that want to get back where it is warm 
can roost in the nest, while others prefer to roost out on the 
running boards. In this way the weaker and more timid birds 
have protection against the stronger ones and are not forced 
to roost on the floor. 

A nest room, 8x10, with 40 double, 80 single nests, will amply 
accommodate 100 youngsters, and that is about as many as 
should be kept together. 

Youngsters should be separated into groups, according to their 
age and strangth; A good plan is to go around once a week 



164 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

and take the stronger ones out and transfer them to a pen of 
older hirds, and put in their place youngsters just taken out of 
the nest rooms. In this way the weaker birds will not be pushed 
back or fought from the feed and water by the older and 
stronger ones. 

Until youngsters get to be about eight or ten weeks old, they 
should not be allowed to get into the fly pens, except in the 
most comfortable weather, and even then it is not necessary. 
On cold, damp days or extremely hot days, even youngsters 
three or four months old should not be peraiitted to fly out 
into the fly pens. They are going through their second plumage 
at this time and are very delicate. 

Some successful breeders do not provide ^y pens for birds 
until after they are old enough to mate, but you must under- 
stand that youngsters require plenty of light and fresh air. This 
does not apply to squabs while in the nest rooms with their 
parents. 

Young birds that become very poor and thin should be sepa- 
rated from the stronger birds in the pen and be placed where 
they can be given special attention. I have found that a good 
sized box with a wire over the top is a good place for such 
birds, as it is warm and dry with plenty of light and fresh air. 

One advantage of the box is that it can be moved to a suitable 
and comfortable place in the day time and put back out of the 
damp air at night. It is a difficult matter to doctor up young 
birds after they have once become sick and the best remedy 
that I know for same is to prevent them from getting in this 
condition by the proper care in advance. 

WHEN PIGEONS GET OLD 

The active working life of squab raising pigeons is about six 
years. Some birds will do good work until eight or ten years 
old, others will let up at five years and some even in four, so 
about the only way to tell the age when a certain bird will 
cease to be profitable is to keep a check on it. If you do not 
keep an absolute record of all your birds you can easily keep a 
record of the empty nests, and if you notice that certain nests 
are occupied right along, but do not contain eggs or squabs, you 
can soon locate the pair that claims the nest, and .if that pair 



PROPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 165 

doesn't go to work witliiii a reasonable time you know there is 
something wrong. 

In such a case I would advise tliat you first separate the pair 
and remate the hen with a young cock and the old cock with 
a young hen. The chances are each pair will go to work and do 
well; if not, one pair will probably go to work and you can 
separate the other pair, remate the young bird and make soup 
of the old one. 

Sometimes old birds will let up for a period and then go to 
work again and do as well as ever. These non-productive 
periods generally take place after moulting and sometimes last 
until the following spring. Sometimes they get run down and 
get out of condition during the moulting season and then fail 
to get back into condition until spring. This is particularly 
true with a female that is being driven too much after the 
moult by the cock. In such a case it is best to separate her 
from the cock and give her a chance to pick up a little weight, 
then either mate her with the same or another cock. 

Often the moult has just the opposite effect on birds. They 
start to gaining weight towards the end of the moulting season 
and soon get too fat and lazy to work. In such cases the best 
remedy is to underfeed them a little until they get down to 
normal condition. 

The moult will often affect different birds in the sanie loft 
differently. Some will get thin and some too fat. So the same 
remedy cannot be applied to all the birds in a loft. Any that 
are too fat should be caught and put to themselves, and those 
that are not working for the want of strength should also be 
put to themselves when they can be given a little extra atten- 
tion and a little richer feed. 

If you conclude that you have birds too old to do good work, 
first try them out with other mates, then if they do not produce 
results, the only thing that you can do is to kill them or turn 
them out to rustle for themselves. You should, however, not 
jump at a conclusion, as many birds stop working from one 
cause or another for short periods, while if properly handled 
would be good squab producers for several years more. 



166 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

INFERTILE EGGS 

An overcrowded loft, improper nest arrangement, insufficient 
feed, or feed with too little food value, or improper loft condi- 
tions will all tend to cause eggs to be infertile. Often, however, 
it is the direct fault of the birds. Sometimes one or both of the 
birds are too old to be serviceable. Sometimes they are too 
young. The first eggs of a young hen are not apt to hatch 
and it is not a bad plan to throw them away after they have been 
set on a few days or a week. It is always good to give a young 
hen a little experience setting before she lays again. 

Some breeders advocate giving a young hen other eggs in 
place of her first ones, but I do not think this an extra good 
plan for too often a young hen will not prove a good mother 
and it is just as well, therefore, to let her get a little older be- 
fore requiring her to mother and feed squabs. 

Infertile eggs can be told by the transparent appearance of 
the egg shell. If an egg looks clear after it has been set on a 
week it is infertile and should be thrown away before the par- 
ent birds have set on the nest long enough to create pigeon 
milk in their crops. (See article on "Pigeon Milk" if you are 
not familiar with same, page 90.) 



CHAPTER XIII 

RAISING PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 

VALUE OF RAISING SHOW BIRDS 

Raising squab breeders, such as Homers, Carneaux, Runts, 
White Kings, Mondaines, etc., for exhibition purposes, cannot 
be very successfully followed as a money making part of the 
business, even by those who breed and sell stock birds. It is 
true that winning blue ribbons is a valuable means of advertis- 
ing along certain lines, but until the squab industry is followed 
by a larger percentage of the people, as is now true with chick- 
ens, the expense of that form of advertising is apt to more than 
offset the benefits received therefrom. 

There is a certain amount of pride and satisfaction for any 
breeder of live stock or fowls to know that his stock is superior 
to others and he should know if it is inferior, which knowledge 
he will soon gain if he exhibits inferior stock. The spirit of 
rivalry which enters into all competition either for pleasure or 
profit, causes men to compete for ribbons, makes stock shows 
possible, and in turn are beneficial. 

As long as there are standards covering squab producing 
breeds, and as long as it is difficult to produce birds that come 
up to the standard, the satisfaction of attaining success along 
this line, and the general knowledge to be gained is sufficient 
reward to justify the trouble and expense of exhibiting at pigeon 
shows, and, after all, what difference is there really in compet- 
ing with squab breeding varieties or Tumblers, Jacobins, 
Pouters and other fancy breeds? It is well, therefore, that those 
who desire can raise breeders for squab producing purposes 
and at the same time birds of the same kind for exhibiiion 
purposes and succeed at both- 

The method of producing utility chickens for show purposes 
has proven a great benefit to the chicken industry, and to that 
extent, it can be practiced successfully with squab and utility 
pig^eons. A Carneau seems to be the most popular squab pro- 
ducing bird for show purposes. National and International 

167 



168 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Cameau Clubs have been organized and standards adopted. 
There are also ckib standards for Runts, Maltese, White Kings, 
and Mondaines, etc. 

As a whole, I would say that shows and exhibitions are a 
good thing for squab breeders and I would encourage more of 
it and advise that pigeon shows give space and inducements 
to exhibitions of squab producing varieties. The success of ihe 
"Fancy" depends largely upon the financial support of the shows 
and it would appear that pigeon show managers have made a 
mistake in the past by overlooking the squab breeders. 

HOW, WHEN AND WHERE TO EXHIBIT 

There was recently organized a National Pigeon Association 
which held its First National Show at Indianapolis, Tnd., and 
Second National Show at Oakland, Calif. This Association 
is organized on a large scale backed by the most success- 
ful pigeon men in America and will no doubt furnish the best 
place for squab breeders to exhibit their birds. 

There are annual pigeon shows held in most of the large cities 
of the United States. These shows are generally held under the 
auspices of a pigeon club or association, which is generally 
to be found in each city of importance. Poultry shows usually 
have a pigeon department, and state and county fairs generally 
give prizes for pigeons as well as poultry. 

I am strongly of the opinion that too much importance has 
been placed upon the value of solid colors and special marking 
such as solid red or solid yellow Cameaux by the fancy Car- 
neau breeder, who, on account of his association with pigeon 
shows, has gotten up the squab breeders' classifications and 
premium lists, and too little importance has been given to type, 
size and other qualities and to the red and white Cameau, or 
yellow and white Carneau, which are the prevailing and original 
colors of the bird. This has had a tendency to keep some Car- 
neau breeders out of the shows, for the reason that they had 
no chance to win with the class of birds they handle, and there- 
by an important feature has been overlooked, namely, the utility 
Carneau breeders. Should you desire to enter utility birds sepa- 
rately or in pairs, notify your club and they will likely provide 
such a class. 



PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 169 

Another thing, by placing all red and all yellow Carneaux as 
the most important, the general public has been educated to 
believe that such birds were the pure bred stock, and that Car- 
neaux with white feathers were either not full blooded or culls. 

Some shows provide for White Carneaux, which come under 
the same standard as the red or yellow, except white with 
orange eyes. There are Black Carneaux, but up to the present 
time they are not very well developed. 

What is true of Carneaux is largely true of other utility varie- 
ties. Too much importance should not be attached to color. Size, 
type, carriage and other like qualities should also govern the 
winning points of utility birds. There are show birds of many 
fancy varieties which compete regardless of color and many in 
which color is of but little consequence. So why handicap 
utility show birds more than fancy show birds? 

The majority of pigeon shows charge a small fee (generally 
50 cents) for each bird entered, and award small cash prizes 
with ribbons and cups to prize winners. A premium book is 
generally published and circulated in advance of each show, 
which gives the different classes, prizes, etc. Birds for exhibition 
can be sent to the superintendent of the show and should reach 
destination one day in advance of the opening of the show. 

Shipping crates to shows should be plainly marked with the 
owner's name and address, so the birds can be properly ex- 
hibited and returned as soon as the show is over. Those who 
desire to enter birds can secure necessary information witii 
reference to the rates for shipping and returning of show birds 
from any express agent. They come under a special class and 
are returned at a reduced rate. 

Before birds are shipped, however, to a show, entry blank 
should be received from the secretary, filled out, aad entry fee 
remitted to the secretary when blanks are returned to him. 
This is generally required several days in advance of the show. 
All rules and other information can be secured from the secre- 
tary of the club giving the show or from the shew secretary. 

RAISING AND SELLING SQUAB BREEDING STOCK 

This is a business of its own, separate and distinct from rais- 
ing and selling squabs. It, however, can be run in connection 
with the squab selling business. The rapid increase of the squab 



170 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

industry, and the fact that thousands of people are entering the 
squab business annually, has created a demand for squab breed- 
ing stock, which in turn has caused many peo}»lc to enter this 
branch of the business unprepared ar;d without special knovrl- 
edge of what is necessary to success in this kindred industry. 
The results have been that many have effected their success 
along the line of squab breeding by accumulating a lot of birds 
which they saved to sell for breeders at a heavy expense, and 
eventually a loss on account of having to sell at a reduced price. 

Like anything else, there is much to learn about this branch of 
the business that one would not foresee or appreciate until too 
late. 

To start with, there is not the margin of profit in selling squab 
breeders as it might appear on first thought. There are ixiany 
Ihings to be reckoned with besides the expense of feeding birds 
from the time they are old enough to kill for squabs until ma- 
tured and sold for breeders. There is a certain per cent of 
squabs that could not be sold for breeding stock on account of 
size, weight or color, which defect cannot always be determined 
at squab killing time; then a percentage of young birds die after 
they leave the nest, and before they learn to care for themselves. 

It is next to impossible to distinguish between a male and 
female squab, and a person accumulating squabs for breeding 
purposes will invariably save more males than females, whicli 
is a total loss, as there is no demand for extra males. 

The additional space or room for housing birds unti- they 
mate and can be sold is quite an item to consider, together with 
their care and time and labor it takes to segregate them into 
classes, and mating them up properly, but all these things can 
be mastered and coped with successfully by most any squal? 
breeder. 

The principal trouble comes in selling breeders, for even in 
the face of an increasing demand, it is hard to find ready buyers 
for breeding stock, and especially so for those who are not known 
and have to depend upon a limited means of advertising. It 
takes a number of years to build up an established business of 
this kind to such an extent that breeders can be sold at the 
proper age, at a fair price. The average purchaser of breeding 
stock would prefer to buy his birds from a well established 
breeder at an advanced price, than from some one who is in- 



PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 171 

experienced, or not known, with no reputation to back him up. 
And this is quite right, for the reason that it pays to get good 
stock, at even a high price, rather than inferior birds for nothing. 

Many breeders of squabs make a mistake by trying to raise 
and sell breeding stock. I do not mean by this that a few breed- 
ers can not be sold profitably by most any one in the squab busi- 
ness, but it is a mistake to figure on selling breeding stock to 
any extent, unless you have the experience, are known and arc 
equipped to handle same. 

The difference in the profit to be made on a hundred birds 
sold for breeding purposes at a year old for a fair price and 
what could have been realized out of the same number of birds 
had they been sold at four weeks old for squabs, is not very 
large, after reckoning the expense of feed, care, housing, adver- 
tising and all expense; but it is sufficiently large to make the 
business profitable, to one who is established in that line. And 
has, by years of advertising in magazines, by exhibiting birds, 
and through satisfied customers, built up a permanent business. 
But this is a slow undertaking, and one should give careful and 
due consideration before entering the business of selling squab 
breeding stock. 

If you should decide to enter this branch of the business, I 
would suggest that you proceed as follows: First, start in in a 
small way, have a few letterheads printed with your name 
and address, and the kind of birds that you are going to offer 
for sale, and right here I would advise that you confine your 
business to one breed of birds only. If you have several breeds 
you certainly have one breed that is better than the others, or 
one that you are better equipped to raise. You can gain nothing 
by scattering your efforts, and, on the other hand, if you con- 
centrate on a single breed your sale talks will be more effective 
and consistent, you will have to have fewer houses, a smaller 
number of assorting and breeding pens, and a smaller invest- 
ment in breeding stock. 

Next you should run a small ad. in a good Pigeon Journal. 
Poultry and other papers are all right for large breeders to 
advertise in, but will not pay the small breeder, as such ads. 
are more along the line of educational, and requires considerable 
time to mature them. 



172 J AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

If there are any pigeon shows to be held near-by, I would rec- 
ommend that you enter some of your birds in the classes that 
you are most likely to win in, and be present at the shows if 
possible, where you will meet people interested in the business, 
and thereby gain a certain amount of publicity. After the show 
you can use your winnings for advertising purposes, but I would 
caution you against placing too much importance on shows, and 
expecting too great or immediate results. 

In selecting and raising the birds you expect to sell for breed- 
ing stock, it would be well to raise only a few more pairs than 
you expect to need for your own plant the first year, then 
increase your stock as you are able to dispose of same, which 
you will be able to do as you get better established and learn 
more about the sale of breeding stock. 

Most every ^quab breeder has a few pairs of mated birds that 
he can spare without decreasing his breeding stock materially. 
It is a good plan, therefore, to carry a small ad. in the pigeon 
papers for the purpose of disposing of surplus breeders. But if 
you meet with material success along this line, it does not 
follow that you can go into the breeding business and immedi- 
ately start to make money, for, as previously stated, the sale of 
breeding stock is a distinct line, and one that cannot be jumped 
Into on short notice with any degree of success. 

RAISING PIGEONS TO A STANDARD 

Regardless of the nature of the business engaged in or to be 
undertaken, in order to attain success in any degree, it is nec- 
essary for one to familiarize himself thoroughly with the details 
and possibilities of that business and to establish an ideal con- 
dition towards which to work. The squab industry is no ex- 
ception to this rule, and it is at all times necessary to work to- 
wards advancement in all branches of the industry and es- 
pecially so to the improvement of one's breeding stock. 

An ideal condition can never be attained. Each successful 
and enthusiastic breeder will raise the standard of perfection 
and his ideal as he advances. A perfect squab plant supplied 
with a perfect stock of birds that will produce a maximum num- 
ber of perfect squabs yearly, therefore, can never be realized, 
but we can and should at all times strive for a higher grade of 



PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 173 

perfection, even though we might at different periods surpass 
ideals that we previously hoped to attain. The improvement 
and perfection of a strain of squab producers can only be 
brought about gradually; it is not practical to undertake too 
rapid advancement, so care should be taken not to place our 
ideals too far ahead of present conditions. It is necessary, how- 
ever, to fix a standard of perfection to work to, and then do only 
those things that will tend to bring the desired results. 

In order to make money raising squabs, a necessary number 
must be produced annually from each pair of breeders. The 




PRIZE WINNING GARNEAU 



174 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

squabs must be of good average size, of a grade that will satisfy 
the buyer, and the amount of expense for feed and other neces- 
sities must be in keeping with the production. Then we must 
decide on certain points of improvement, such as light meated 
squabs, large breasted, well-matured and fat squabs at the proper 
selling age, and a uniformity in these qualities. To attain such 
a condition and results, we should improve the standard of our 
breeding stock, by first learning the size and shape and types 
old birds should possess, and then by eliminating fiom our 
breeding stock the poorest type birds, and those that are farther 
from the desired standard. 

A flock of breeders can be improved materially, and bred up 
toward a standard by the method of elimination. To do this, 
as previously stated, one must have a fair knowledge of what 
constitutes a good breeder and the standard of perfection de- 
sired. He should have as perfect a check as possible on what 
each pair of his breeders is doing. Then he should discard or 
eliminate his slowest producers, the birds of the poorest types 
and shapes, those that are the smallest and also the overgrown 
and oversize birds. This method of elimination, however, should 
be gradual and considerable care and attention should be 
given to the question of results; that is to say, it is not always 
advisable to cull out the undersized, ill-shaped bird in preference 
to a better type one, for the reason that the poorest looking bird 
might be producing the best squabs and the largest number of 
squabs. As a rule, this will not be found to be the case, and 
by a slow methoel of elimination, now and then discarding an 
inferior bird, be it large or small, and replacing it with one 
superior in size, type nearer the ideal standard, one will be 
surprised at the progress he will make, and how, in a compara- 
tively short time, he will improve the average quality of his 
entire stock. 

Taking the Carneau or White King Pigeon as an example, 
hens that weigh less than 18 ounces should be eliminated as 
fast as they can be replaced with better birds, and cocks that 
weigh less than 20 ounces should be eliminated. Personally, 
I favor hens that weigh from 18 to 20 ounces and cocks that 
weigh from 20 to 22 ounces. 

You will notice that Carneaux stand with their bodies at an 
angle of about 45 degrees. They have full rounded breasts, and 



l»lGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 



175 



their legs set well back under their bodies. Their necks are an 
average length, not too short nor too long. They have broad 
shoulders, tapering back, giving their back a wedge or flat 
iron shape. Their legs are not short enough to give them a duck 
like appearance, nor long enough to make them appear lanky 
and ungainly. They have good, thick, substantial, yet graceful 
necks, and show marked vitality and vigor in their general 
make-up and carriage. 

Carneaux nor White Kings that stand more horizontally, or 
more perpendicularly are not as good mothers or fast breeders. 




LATEST CARNEAU IDEAL 



176 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



as a rule, as those that stand at a natural pose as these birds 
do, and the same thing applies to birds that have too long or too 
short bodies or that are about the same size at both ends. The 
wedge shaped bird with deep keel and full rounded chest is by 
far the best average breeder. 

Oversized birds are just as undesirable as undersized, and this 
is true with all breeds of pigeons or fowls of any kind; yes, I 
will go farther, and say it is true with all animal kind, includ- 
ing the human race. Nature itself works to a standard. A tall 
man invariably admires a short woman, a large man a small 




PAIR OF GOOD TYPE WHITE KINGS 



PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 177 

woman, a blonde a brunette. A quick, irritable, impulsive person 
generally feels more at home with a slower, even tempered 
person, and if it were not for this condition the human race 
would develop into extremes. Likes beget like, and if like 
attracted like, in a short time one set of people would be ex- 
tremely tall and another set extremely short — giants and 
midgets. One class would be very dark, and another class very 
light complexioned and so on. Now, what is true with people 
is also true with animals of any kind, including pigeons; so in 
the same breed of pigeons it would be possible to develop by 
selection and elimination excessive large or extremely small 
birds. Nature again has guarded against extremes by a safety 
first idea. In pigeons I can't say that they mate off in opposites; 
that is, that a small bird will naturally mate with a larger bird, 
but I do know that if two extremely small birds mate or two 
excessive large ones mate, their offspring will not be as plentiful 
as will be the mating of average sized birds, and I do believe 
that nature does by the rule of restriction in production main- 
tain a uniformity. We can, however, assist nature, or gradually 
drift it to a desired result, determining in advance what we 
wish to accomplish along certain lines, and then accomplish 
our purpose by mating and remating birds of different types 
by selection and elimination to produce the desired type. 



178 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 





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CHAPTER XTV 
PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET 

GENERAL APPEARANCE OF PRODUCT 

The appearance of any marketable article has considerable 
to do with the price received for it, and especially so with an 
article like squabs that can be made to look nice, clean and 
inviting by a little care, or will appear dirty and undesirable 
if handled carelessly. 

Squabs should be picked reasonably clean, and care should 
be taken not to tear the flesh. The head should be left on with 
the feathers extending about half way down the neck. The 
ieet should be left on, but well washed and cleaned, with the 
feathers picked off from around the knees. Dry picked squabs 
will not only keep better, but have a much better appearance 
than squabs that are scalded before picked. The placing of 
squabs in cold water, for a few minutes, immediately after 
picking not only gives the squabs a plump like appearance, 
but will make the flesh appear much whiter and nicer, provided 
the picking is done before the animal heat has left the body. 

For special private trade, it is not a bad idea to wrap each 
squab in wax paper, leaving the head and feet unwrapped. A 
specially selected carton is also an advantage when delivering 
to private trade. 

The evenness in size is another point worth watching. Extra 
large squabs, or extremely small ones should be separated from 
the rest, as the latter will make the entire lot look smaller, and 
the former will not be appreciated. All of these things have a 
tendency in the right direction. 

Good m.anners, neat appearance, with clean hands and feet, 
has its effect when delivering squabs to fastidious trade, and, 
in fact, with all classes of trade. Points of this nature are well 
worth considering, and often mean more for the success of a 
business than one can estimate. 

170 



180 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

HOW TO KILL AND PICK SQUABS 

Squabs that are to he marketed should be taken from the nest 
at night, placed in coops where they will not be too crowded, 
then killed the next morning when their crops are empty. 

They should be killed with a sharp knife by cutting the roof 
of their mouth and throat, through the beak. Then lock their 
wings and hang then up by the feet to bleed and pick. Squabs 
are marketed with the head and feet on. As soon as they quit 
bleeding take them down and pick dry before they get cold. 

The object in locking their wings, by twisting them one over 
the other, is to prevent the dying bird from flopping and throw- 
ing blood over everything near-by; this should in fact be done 
before the squab is stuck. A good rapid picker takes but a few 
feathers at a time, pulls the feathers against the grain, so to 
speak, and by keeping this up in rapid succession is able to 
pick a squab in a remarkably short time. 

About the most simple and best way to hang sciuabs up to 
bleed is to drive (S-penny nails in pairs, about 6 inches apart 
in a board. The nails should be driven aboiit one-third the way 
in and about one-quarter of an inch apart, or just far enough 
to permit a squab's leg to go between. Another way is to fasten 
a row of double strings, 8 to 10 inches long, to nails driven into 
a board about 6 inches apart, hung up in a convenient place. 
Then form a simple half hitch loop and slip it over the squab's 
feet; before letting loose of the squab,' lock its wings, as above 
described. A number of squabs in this way can be strung up, 
killed and bled at the same time. Then, as fast as one quits 
bleeding, take it down to be picked, and replace it with another 
squab. 

Where several people are picking at the same time, it is best 
for one to do the killing and pulling out the larger feathers in 
the wings and tail, and the others do the balance of the picking. 

As soon as squab is picked, its wings should be placed over its 
back, and thrown into a tub of cool water to plump. The grain 
or feed should be washed out of a squab's crop before it is 
packed or shipped or marketed, as the grain will sour and spoil 
the squab. Then, besides, they are not in a marketable condition 
with the crops full. 

To wash the crop, hold the squab's open beak under a iTin- 



PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET 181 

ning faucet and allow the crop to fill with water. Then take 
the squab in the right hand, by the back and legs, and by a 
throwing motion towards the ground throw the water out of the 
crop, and with it will come the grain and other contents. If 
it does not all come out the first time, refill with water and re- 
peat the process. 

It pays to arrange a convenient place to kill and pick squabs, 
even though you have but a small plant and may only kill a 
few birds weekly. It will be found best to do this work indoors 
and a cool basement or wash room is an excellent place. A 
comfortable seat should be provided and all such arrangements 
should be made in advance. 

PICKING SQUABS BY USE OF PARAFFIN 

Much time can be saved and better results obtained by using 
paraffin when picking squabs, and as the paraffin can be used 
over and over again, the expense is a small consideration. Of 
course, all the larger feathers must be pulled out before the 
squabs are dipped. A little experience will teach you just how 
clean to pick before paraffining. 

To prepare the paraffin for this purpose, put it into a kettle 
or receptacle, large enough to permit the dipping of a squab 
completely under the liquid. Paraffin should be warmed to a 
degree that will melt it into an oily substance, but care should 
be taken not to get it too hot, or it will partly cook and turn 
the squabs red and spoil them. The paraftin should be warm — 
not hot. A good test is to hold your finger in the melted liquid 
and if it is too hot for your comfort let it set and cool a while. 
It will cool very rapidly. 

To apply the paraffin hold tlie squab by the head and feet, 
and submerge the balance of the body under the paraffin. Lay 
it on a table or board to cool a few minutes, and then dip again. 
Time can be saved by dipping several squabs in succession and 
then by the time the last is dipped the first is cold enough to dip 
the second time. 

After the paraffin is cool it will tui'n to a sperm-like sub- 
stance, then it can be pulled off the squab, and any feathers left 
on the squab will come with it. Then the squab shouM be 
thrown into a bucket or tub of water to plump. When scj[uabs 



182 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

are to be paraffined, they should not be put in water to cool 
until paraffined, as paraffin will not stick to wet feathers. 

After a little experience in this method, you will become famil- 
iar with the necessary temperature to have the paraffin and 
about the time it will take the paraffin to cool before it can be 
peeled off the squab. 

When the paraffin begins to get too thick for use, set the 
kettle back on the stove and heat it up a little, always taking 
care not to get it too hot. A coal oil, alcohol, or gas burner 
will furnish ample heat to melt the paraffin. Save the paraffin 
with the feathers in it, after it is pulled off the squabs, for later 
use; but before it is used a second time, heat and strain, so as 
to get rid of the feathers. At least one-third of the time can be 
saved in picking by the use of paraffin, and, as the operation is 
simple, it is no trick to learn how, and easy to perform. 

SHIPPING DRESSED SQUABS 

I recently noticed an unsigned article in a magazine on ship- 
ping dresped squabs, written by a Missouri squab raiser, and 
he stated the proposition clearly and covered certain points 
well. I will quote the letter, which is as follows: 

"We received some letters from parties who are anxious to 
give the squab industry a trial, but who say that they live in 
small towns where there is no demand for squabs or that the 
city market at their location is low. 

"These conditions are small factors, and can be easily handled. 
In fact, we know of no industry where the matter of securing 
the proper markets can be be so easily handled. We mean by 
this that in most industries the near markets have to be de- 
pended upon exclusively, as it would cost too much to ship 
farther; and, also, the markets farther east, as a rule, do not 
offer the western producers enough difference in other lines of 
industries to make it profitable to ship in small quantities. This 
is the case with poultry of all kinds. But take the squab indus- 
try. A man with 200 pairs of pigeons will have six dozen of 
squabs weekly to sell. These will weigh 60 to 70 pounds. 
Properly boxed they will weigh about 80 pounds. The cost on 
80-pound shipments from our plant to New York City is $1.80, 
or this would be 30 cents per dozen. 



ttlEiPARiNG SQUABS FOR MARKET 183 

"The cost of shipping to Chicago from our plant is $1.15 on 
this size shipment. This would figure 19 cents per dozen. 

"Our plant is located in Missouri, 175 miles west of St. Louis. 
This makes our plant ahout 1,500 miles from New York City, 
and about 500 miles from Chicago. You can see then that no 
matter where you live you can reach the best markets at a very 
small cost, and for this reason you need not depend on the local 
markets for the disposal of your squabs. Also, the farther the 
distance the lesser the express in proportion. 

"If you live say 2,200 miles from New York, which would be 
700 miles farther than our plant, the express on this size package 
would amount to only about 50 cents more than it would from 
our plant. The cost of exprcssage is figured a great deal less in 
proportion as to the distance it is to be hauled is increased. 
As the Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, and all the larger 
Eastern cities are always willing to pay large prices for squabs 
you can readily see the matter of getting a good market for 
your squabs is one that need not bother you. But most of the 
western cities are becoming good squab markets and we look 
for vast improvements in the next two or three years. 

"Now as to the safety of shipping squabs long distances, will 
say that this is easily and safely accomplished. During the 
winter months all that is necessary is to pack them in a box 
and mark the box in two or three places as follows: 'Dressed 
Squabs -Keep in Cool Place.' Squabs so marked will keep 
in fine shape three or four days in the winter. In the summer 
they should be packed in ice. They will keep easily 60 hours 
in the summer when so packed, but if shipping in summer you 
should use the returnable containers, which have a chamber 
for the squabs and one for the ice. These will be sent back 
to you by the express company for virtually nothing. In no 
instance over 25 cents is charged for returning these containers. 
In summer shipment of squabs, where ice is necessary, there is 
a deduction of 25 per cent allowed by the express companies 
from the gross weight. For example, if your box, ice and squabs 
weigh 100 pounds, you would be charged for only 75 pounds." 

SHIPPING SQUABS TO MARKET 

Squabs are shipped alive on foot, dead, with feathers on, and 
picked, but if they are shipped any distance, they must be 



184 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

packed in ice or shipped in refrigerating car or boat. Express 
companies allow one-third off in weight for ice. There are 
special air-tight receptacles, but the average shipper uses merely 
a large candy bucket, or box, packing therein a layer of squabs 
and then a layer of ice. If the distance is very great, however, 
it is better not to have the ice come in direct contact with the 
squabs. Very few buyers will accept birds with their feathers 
on. However, some prefer to receive them that way, and will 
pay about as much per dozen for them. If a customer of this 
kind can be secured, it is much easier to ship with the feathers 
on than to pick them. 

When squabs are shipped alive, they must not travel very far. 
They should be gathered from the nest after feeding in the 
afternoon and be received before noon the next day. In this way, 
they start with their crops filled, and do not lose any weight in 
transit. A cool, dark crate or box should be provided to ship in, 
and not over a dozen birds put in a compartment, otherwise 
they will crowd on top of each other and smother. Squabs that 
are received alive should be killed immediately, as they will lose 
weight if not. You no doubt, understand that squabs do not 
know how to drink or feed themselves; hence, they cannot be 
held over without considerable loss, and after a couple of days 
they would deteriorate in quality as well as weight. 

SHIPPING SQUABS A LONG DISTANCE 

(Written by A California Breeder.) 

"California breeders readily, could secure prices that would 
be worth while if they would only organize an association. They 
should get together and then stick. In this state we have all 
kinds of associations, orange, chicken, egg, berry, rhubarb, ap- 
ple, raisin, etc. All are successful and are the means of living 
prices, and profits go to the producer, not to the commission 
man. They stick together and sell through their associations, 
only, and by doing so they are successful. But the squab breeder 
seems unable to get the habit and then keep it. 

"We organized about two years ago. We were tlien very 
green at the business. Handling squabs on a large scale was 
something new. We had to learn. This learning cost money, 
but we kept on. About six months ago we decided to incorpo- 
rate, and things seemed to be started on the right road. We 



PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET 185 

were handling a large number of squabs, both supplied by our 
members and shipped to us from various points in our state, 
paying top prices, and were also the direct cause for the highest 
prices ever paid in the San Francisco market. 

"After experimenting with several styles of shipping cans, 
trying to ship dressed squabs from California to Chicago and 
New York, we have at last solved the mystery with our latest 
shipping can with trays and ice chamber. Total weight, 64 
pounds, and will last a lifetime. This can will hold from 15 
dozen to 20 dozen dressed squabs, weighing 9 pounds average 
to the dozen. These cans also may be made larger or smaller. 

"There is no reason why squab breeders should not have an 
association. This is possible if they will put on their thinking 
cap, reason a little, sacrifice, if necessary, as other producers 
have done. Other producers have succeeded, why not the squab 
breeders? Shipping cans such as above mentioned are most 
practical and can be made at a small cost." 

HOW TO SHIP LIVE PIGEONS 

A box or crate should be used when shipping live pigeons, 
according to the number of birds to be shipped and the distance 
they are going to travel. Any kind of a box will do for a few 
pairs that are only going a short distance, but if they are going 
to travel any distance, a feed box should be prepared, with a feed 
hopper, for the purpose and should have a can attached for 
drinking water. The expressmen will water and feed birds 
if arrangments are provided for that purpose, otherwise they 
are likely not to, although they are supposed to do so. 

Birds will not eat nearly so much en route as they would 
otherwise, so a little feed will last for a long trip. I favor the 
plan of having drinking cups arranged so the expressmen can 
take the cup out, fill it, and set it back in place. Usually they 
have no way of putting water in except with a large bucket and 
invariably this causes them to pour the water all over the birds 
and usually the feed, which sours and makes the birds sick, 
unless a convenient way is provided. 

When a large number of birds are to be shipped, a self-feeder, 
opened on both sides, can be built through the center of the 
shipping box, with, a space four inches or six inches square left 



186 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

at each end of the feed hopper, into which can be placed the 
drinking cup. 

Care should be taken not to have any cracks near the bottom 
of the shipping coop for birds to get their feet or wings out of, 
and the coop should be high enough so the birds cannot stick 
their heads out of the top, for they are apt to get their heads 
knocked off by the expressmen pulling another crate or box 
across the top of the coop they are in. It is also not a good plan 
to have openings around the sides to cause drafts. Not over 
15 or 20 birds should be shipped in a compartment, as they 
are apt to pile up at one end of the coop on top of each other 
and trample or smother the under birds. 

HOW TO COOK AND SERVE SQUABS 

If squabs are for home use it is just as well to cut or pull 
their heads off as to bleed them to death, and the former is the 
easiest and quickest. 

After a squab is picked, singe the hair or fuzzy feathers off 
over a blaze, then wash in cold water; cut off the feet at the 
knees; cut off the end of the neck if it is bloodshot or extra long. 
To remove the entrails split the squab open at the back. Be 
sure and get the crop and its contents all removed; wash again 
thoroughly and let it stand in salt water over night if you have 
time. If not it can be cooked at once. 

Squabs can be stuffed and cooked or roasted as you would 
a chicken or a turkey; broiled as you would a spring chicken 
or a quail. Stewed or fricasseed squabs are also good, but fried 
squab is the most common and besides being the most simple 
and easiest to prepare, will suit the taste of a majority of people. 

How To Fry Squabs 

The old fashioned southern way of frying a chicken is proba- 
bly the best way to fry a squab. This method requires a lot of 
grease and, therefore, is not often used unless there are a num- 
ber of squabs to fry. Although by this method a lot of grease is 
needed to fry the birds in, they are not at all greasy when 
cooked if the grease is kept hot. 

Take a kettle of grease and let it get extra hot, then cut 



t»REPARiNG SQUABS FOR MARKET 187 

your squabs in halves as you would a spring chicken and drop 
them into the hot grease. There must be enough grease to 
cover the squabs completely just as you would fry doughnuts. 
You can put in several halves at a time and let them remain 
until thoroughly done, which will only require a few minutes 
if the grease is kept hot enough. Serve on a platter or individual 
plates while hot. 

Another way to fry squabs is to first parboil them, then pour 
off the water; add a little lard or butter and fry quickly over a 
hot fire. While squabs are not good unless thoroughly cooked 
care should be taken not to overboil, as they are very tender 
and will fall to pieces if over-cooked. 

Squabs can be fried without parboiling, but it takes a little 
longer to get them done all the way through. If you desire, you 
can roll them in flour, corn meal or batter before frying. The 
majority of people like them the best without. 

Still another way to fry squabs is split the birds open in the 
back, flatten them out well and lay face or open part down in 
a skillet with enough lard or other grease to keep from burning. 
Place a cover over the birds that is a little smaller than the 
skillet, weight the cover down with a flat iron or other weight 
and let cook slowly until well done; then take cover off and 
increase the heat for the purpose of browning the squabs, turn- 
ing them over for each side to brown. 

Squabs Scalloped 
Butter a baking-dish. Arrange alternate layers of cold, cooked, 
sliced squab and boiled macaroni or rice. Pour over Tomato 
Sauce, cover with buttered cracker crumbs, and bake in a hot 
oven until crumbs are brown. 

Squab Souffle 
Take the breast meat of several squabs; remove all skin and 
sinews, chop very fine. Put the chopped meat in a skillet or 
stew-pan, add some whole spice, a little chopped parsley; salt 
and pepper to taste; stir it until it boils; allow it to cool a little; 
add yolks of three eggs beaten to a froth and stir well. Turn 
into a baking-dish which has been well buttered and the bottom 
covered with fine cracker crumbs. Bake in a very quick oven. 
Serve with sauce. 



188 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Squab Pie 

Clean well, inside and out, one-half dozen squabs and split 
them in half; put them in a saucepan with about two quarts 
of water; when it boils, skim off all scum that arises; then add 
salt and pepper, a bunch of minced parsley, one onion chopped 
fine, and three whole cloves. Cut up half a pound of salt pork 
into dice, and let all boil until tender, using care that there be 
enough water to cover the birds. Thicken this with two table- 
spoons of browned flour and let it boil up. Stir in a piece of 
butter as large as an egg; remove from the fire and let cool. 
Have ready a pint of potatoes cut as small as dice, and a rich 
crust made. Line the sides of a buttered baking-dish with the 
crust; lay in the birds, then some of the potatoes, then birds 
and so on, until the dish is full. Pour over the gravy, put on 
the top crust, with a slit cut in the center, and bake. The top 
can be ornamented with pastry leaves in a wreath about the 
edge, with any fancy design placed in the center across the slit. 

Old Pigeon Pie 

Take half a dozen pigeons; stuff- each one with dressing, the 
same as for turkey; loosen the joints with a knife but do not 
separate them. Put them in a stewpan with water enough to 
cover; let them cook until nearly tender, then season with salt 
and pepper and butter. Thicken the gravy with flour; remove 
and cool. Butter a baking-dish, line the sides with a rich crust. 
Have ready some hard boiled eggs, cut in slices. Put in a layer 
of egg and birds and gravy until the dish is full. Cover with 
a crust and bake. 

There are many other ways squabs can be cooked, such as 
squab croquettes, cold squab loaf, squab a la King, etc., but there 
is no way as simple and convenient as frying them and, if prop- 
erly fried they are hard to beat. 

EDUCATING THE CUSTOMER TO GOOD SQUABS 
AND PRICES 

Eating squabs in America is a comparatively new thing, and 
the sale and consumption of large squabs particularly fitted 
for the table is newer still. There are many people throughout 



PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET l89 

the country that do not even know what squabs mean, and 
many more who do not know that tliere is a difference in the 
size and flavor of squabs. Their impression is, that a squab is 
a young pigeon such as are raised by boys, or fly loose in the 
barnyards of the farmers. Squabs, therefore, do not appeal to 
them very forcibly, but if such people were actually acquainted 
with the real commercial squab of today, they would be eating 
it and singing its praise. There is great room for development, 
therefore, along the line of education in all towns and cities of 
the country. 

There are many families in every community who would buy 
squabs at good prices at regular periods, if they but knew the 
delicious food value of high-grade squabs. One thing that has 
been a setback to squab eating, is the practice of cheap restau- 
rants and hotels in serving poor, inferior squabs, or even old 
pigeons as squabs, and this, I am sorry to say, is often not con- 
fined to the cheaper restaurants and hotels, but it is sometimes 
practiced by high-grade places. The public is not sufficiently 
educated to know what they should get when they order a 
squab. They see it on the menu, order it once, do not find it 
to their liking, and forever after are firm in their belief that 
squabs are not very good to eat. But if these same people could 
i)e induced to try a real squab of good size, killed at the right 
age, they would be surprised at their past ignorance in this line. 

About the best way for a small producer of squabs in an out- 
lying district to establish a good squab trade, is to make a 
special effort to get some of the best families in the community 
to try a few of his squabs, even if it is necessary to give them 
the first supply. The fact that the Orthodox Jews do not eat 
pork, make them splendid squab customers. They are particu- 
larly fond of ducks, geese, and other fowls that carry considera- 
ble fat and take readily to squabs. Then, as a rule, the Jewish 
people in small towns and villages are fairly well to do, and 
can afford to pay good prices for what they desire to eat. In 
working up a private trade for the sale of squabs, therefore, 
it is well to go especially after the Jewish trade. 

Another good means of creating a squab trade, is to dress 
them real nice, and leave them at a local market to sell. If 
the market will not buy them outright, leave them there on con- 
signment, with instructions that they be sold to the best and 



190 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

most particular customers, even though the price is to be small, 
after which it can be readily raised to what it ought to be. 

Another good method is to inquire ahead of any prospective 
dinners or banquets to be served publicly or privately, and ar- 
range for squabs as a part of the menu, even though the ar- 
rangement is to be made at a sacrifice in price. The principal 
thing is to get the people to eating squabs at some price, and then 
it is only a short time until they will be paying fair prices. 

It is folly for one to believe that he can start in the squab 
business and find a ready market for his product, without some 
pioneer and educational work. This is where many beginners 
meet their first discouragement. With the start they do not 
raise enough squabs to justify them to ship to an established 
market in the city, so they try to peddle them around to local 
markets, hotels and restaurants, and, to their disappointment, 
are either offered a very small price, or no price at all. Then 
there is another phase to the question and that is, where there 
is already an established demand at a good price, buyers will 
take advantage of beginners by offering him a very small price 
for his product, and often will state very positively that it is 
all squabs are worth. It is a bad practice, therefore, to wait 
vmtil you have squabs to sell before looking out for a market, 
and it is better to distribute them around to private families 
and, thereby create a demand, than it is to try and peddle them 
out to small hotels or markets. 

Many physicians would recommend squabs for their patients, 
if they knew where they could be secured; thereby another line 
of trade can be supplied. It is often necessary, however, to edu- 
cate the physician to the real merits and value of squab meat, 
the same as other inexperienced people. The average doctor in 
the country believes that a squab is a small, dark meated fowl 
that weighs about one-half pound. To convince him otherwise, 
it is only necessary to serve him with a real squab. 

Good, well fattened squabs will readily bring from private 
trade from 30 to 60 cents each, according to weight, and the 
education of the customer and his ability to pay. Ten pounds 
to the dozen squabs after dressed would bring from 50 to 60 
cents each at private trade. The same squabs served at the 
best hotels and cafes in the cities bring from $1.00 to $1.50 each 
at retail. 



CHAPTER XV 

CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 

SQUAB HOUSES I HAVE SEEN 

There has been more development in scientific farming and 
stock raising along practical lines the last fifty years than dur- 
ing the preceding five hundred years. This has been chiefly 
due to the education of the producing classes brought around 
by the improvements in travel and the transportation of thought. 

It is no longer necessary for one to acquire all of his know^l- 
edge through personal experience as it was in time gone by 
when each man's world was bounded by the horizon. It costs 
money and requires time to experiment. Therefore, if a hundred 
men can profit by the experience of one or ten thousand men 
by the experience of a hundred and each more or less by the 
experience of the whole, much money, time and labor can not 
only be saved, but improvements will come that much faster for 
thoughts and ideas grow as they travel. 

The squab industry is comparatively new and there are many 
squab raisers whose experience is limited by the knowledge 
they have chiefly acquired through their own personal efforts. 
As I have made a study of squab raising for years and have 
personally visited most of the squab plants, both large and small, 
throughout the United States and Canada and have made it an 
object to compare the methods of the different breeders, I feel 
that the information so gathered should prove valuable to others. 

By comparing the success of one breeder with another along 
with his methods I have been able to determine, at least to 
my own satisfaction, the cause of success or failure. I have 
found that most every breeder possesses ideas of his own which 
are detrimental to his success and others that have considerable 
merit. Then, too, in almost every plant I have been able to 
obtain an idea that I could put to some value. If not direct, I 
could couple it with an idea that I got somewhere else and by 
improving the two combined work out something of great value. 

In other cases I find large successful squab breeders were 



192 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

following a few old ideas that were costing them a lot of time 
and money. I propose, therefore, to give the reader the benefit 
of my experience that I secured and thereby assist him in mak- 
ing an inexpensive short cut to success. 

Most of the large plants in the East and in New England, 
particularly, build their squab houses with an aisle to the rear 
of their nest rooms and with a solid wall or partition between 
the aisle and the nest rooms. In each plant I visited of this de- 
sign I noticed the birds were unusually wild. They would start 
flying off the nests and out of the squab houses into the fly pens 
the minute we entered the building and would stay out for 
some time after we came out. In these plants I always noticed 
a lot of cold, deserted nests and eggs. In one plant where the 
partitions between the aisle and nest rooms were of wire so the 
birds could see us as we passed along the aisle they were not so 
wild, and it was here that I got my first idea of a wire partition 
between the aisle and nest rooms. Previous to that I had built 
my front aisle with a partition of solid wood between the aisle 
and nest rooms. Since then I have wondered why I went to the 
expense of building a solid wood partition when a wire partition 
was better in every way and much cheaper. 

The objection to having the aisle in the rear of the nest rooms 
is not only that it makes the birds wild, but it is awkward and 
unhandy. 

Most of the New England plants have gates to their fly pens 
at the opposite end from the house so when they want to get 
into the fly pen it is necessary to go clear around in front, thus 
losing a great deal of time. 

I quote below from a letter I received from the owner of a 
plant I visited near Boston which covers the difference between 
the front and rear aisle system complete in a few words. "Dear 
Mr. Eggleston: I feel very grateful for the suggestion you gave 
me this spring. Shortly after you were here I changed the plan 
of one of my houses and built the aisle in front and of wire 
instead of boards. This is going to cost me a lot of money 
because I like it so well that I am going to change all of my 
other houses. But I am sure I will gain back the expense of the 
change before the year is over. The convenience of your aisle 
plan of feeding alone is enough to cause me to change the aisle 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 




194. AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

to the front. After trying your nest system for three months I 
wonder why some one else did not tliink of it hefore." 

In New York, New Jersey and along the eastern coast I found 
quite a few hreeders had, in order to eliminate the evils of the 
aisle-in-rear plan, done away with the aisle entirely and put in 
doors from one nest room to another near the front of the house 
so they would enter each nest room near where the hirds went 
out into the fly pen. In this way the hirds would have to fly by 
them to get out. This method I found served the purpose fan^y 
well of keeping the birds from flying out of the house every time 
one entered it. 

The objections to this, however, are that the swinging doors 
bother the birds and the birds will sometimes fly by through 
the doors as you go in and thus get mixed with other birds in 
adjoining nest rooms. Then, some birds seem to persist in 
building their nests on the floor where you will have to step 
over them every time you enter the nest room. With tliis plan 
I noticed quite a number of nests on the floor near the doors, 
generally in the corner of the room next to the fly pen. Another 
objection to this phni, the door-in-the-partition plan, is that it 
takes a lot of time to go through several nest rooms and open 
and close a lot of doors. 

Squab breeders in many ol the southern states and in Cali- 
fornia have adopted an open front squab house with the nest 
boxes along the rear wall and I have seen quite a few plants in 
the north built along the same plan except with a closed front. 
This plan generally includes the gate in front of each fly pen. 

There are two principal objections to this plan. With the nesis 
on the rear wall only, one loses one-half of his nest space, as 
twice as many nests can be put on two side walls as on one 
back wall. Then the birds are compelled to face a strong light 
as they sit on their nests, which they do not like to do as squabs 
do not do as well in a nest where the light shines directly on 
them as they do in a nest on the side wall where the nests are 
darker. 

By having the nests on the back wall and the door in front 
when you enter the nest room every bird on the nest sees you 
and if you start towards them they all think you are going to 
bother them. It is hard to catch a bird with such a plan for 
J3anding or other purposes as they are much more apt to fly off 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



195 



the nests than when the nests are on the side wall. With the 
side nests you do not go directly towards the hirds as you pass 
into the room and then they are partially hidd(>n and if they see 
you they think that you do not see them. 

When entering fly pens with the gate at the outer end I found 
that the birds will all chase out of the pen hack into the nest 
room then as you go into the nest room they will all fly past 
you out into the fly pen causing more or less of a panic and 




ONE-UNIT SQUAB HOUSE 
Note that this is built on the aisle-in-front plan with overhead chute. 



keeping the birds disturbed every time the nest room is entered. 

Tlie open front squab house is the proper thing for the South 
and the Pacific Coast States, but the house should be built with 
the aisle in front just the same. Instead of having only the par- 
tition between the nest rooms and tlie aisle made of wire both 
this partition and the outer front wall should be made of wire. 

I laid out and superintended the building of a 32 unit squab 
house in Los Angeles built on this plan in 1914, and while I at 
first had some doubt as to the birds taking to the overhead chute 
readily I was quite sure they would find them, and they did 
immediately. 



196 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



When both front walls are wire the light comes in below the 
chute and the birds can naturally see right through the wire 
into the fly pen. The exit chute being high up and not so easy to 
see, I questioned the birds finding them very easy, but the 
second day they were all out in the fly pens and all readily 
found their way back to the nest rooms. By this experience I 
learned that the aisle in front and the overhead chute will work 
as well with an open front house as a closed one. 

The California and southern breeders have developed a good 
idea in fly pen running boards. They build them on either side 
which is far better than the old ladder-like arrangement that is 
so commonly used in the east and central states. The differ- 




FI.Y, PEN AND SQUAB HOUSE READY FOR THE BIRDS 



ence in these two systems of fly pen perches is all in favor of 
the southern idea. The objection to the ladder plan is that it is 
hard to catch birds in a fly pen with one of these constructions 
in it. It the birds light on the top round it cannot be reached, 
or if they get back of the ladder on the ground they are hard to 
get to. 

I was once visiting a squab plant and the owner had asked 
me to make any suggestion that I saw fit, and in reply to my 
suggestion that I liked the single running boards along the 
sides better than the kind he had as it made it easier to catch 
l)irds, he asked "Why should a person be catching his birds 
so much?" In less than three minutes he was in his fly pen 
trying to catch a bird to remove a tight band and was chasing 
it all over the pen and scaring all the other birds. 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 197 

There are several advantages to the southern idea of fly pen 
running boards. They are less expensive, more easy to construct 
and the birds like them better. The short flight across the fly 
pen from one board to another offers good exercise for the birds 
and they like a flat surface to light on better than the edge or 
corner of a board that they have to light on with the ordinary 
ladder perches. It is easier to clean a fly pen that has the run- 
ning boards on the side than where there is a ladder to clean 
under. 

The western plan of a small, low fly pen is also better than 
the large, high pen used in the eastern states. The roof of a 
fly pen should not be over 7 feet high, 6y2 is the best height. It 
makes the birds wild to have the roof of the fly pen so high that 
they can fly over your head when you are in the pen. They are 
much harder to catch and this also makes them wild. As an 
example, you can put a chicken in a small coop where it cannot 
get out of your reach and you can pick it up at will without it 
getting frightened, but put the same chicken out in a big yard 
and see how hard it is to catch. 

The door or gate to the fly pen should be through the squab 
house and there- should be a door leading direct to every pen 
and no door from one pen to another. 

Probably the greatest difference iii squab house construction 
is the nest box system used by the different breeders all over 
the country. The majority of people starting in the business 
adopt the old-fashioned foot square, open front boxes and extend 
them from the ceiling to the floor. This is not a very satisfac- 
tory method and they set out to improve it and the result is that 
a lot of different plans have developed, and as most of them are 
improvements over the original each person is more or less par- 
tial to his own plan. 

The first noticeable defect to the plain foot square nest system 
is that there is nothing in front of the nests and birds leaving the 
nests hurriedly are apt to drag the eggs and even young squabs 
out of the nests. With a four-inch board across the front of the 
nests the birds have a protection to build behind which has 
several advantages. If the birds leave the nests hurriedly they 
invariably step up on the four-inch board before starting to fly 
which makes it almost impossible to drag eggs or young out 
of the nests as they leave it. 



198 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



The board across the front will keep the other old birds from 
flying right in the nests on top of its occupants. If a bird by 
mistake flies into a nest it generally starts a fight thinking 
that some bird has its nest. 

Each pair of pigeons needs two nests as they have sqna])S in 
one nest and eggs in another. With the old plan several pairs 
will likely build in a particular section of the room occupying 
all the nests in that section. Then when a pair is ready to lay 
the second time all the adjoining nests are taken and as a result 
they generally lay back in the nests with their squabs, which is 




END VIEW OF SQUAB PLANT — EGGLESTON PLAN 



bad for several reasons, or they do not start to work until their 
squabs are old enough to leave their nests. 

To provide a double nest some breeders in the eastern states use 
a nesting system known as the "T" double nest. This style of 
nest has some advantages, but the principal objection is that the 
squabs will climb over to the other half of the nests, when they 
get about three weeks old and bother the old birds on eggs, often 
breaking the eggs or crowding the mother bird off of them, 
thus allowing the eggs to get chilled. The old birds in order 
to avoid being thus bothered by their squabs will often build 
in another double nest which requires two double or four nests 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 199 

for one pair. While the "T" system is more easy to clean than 
the old method on acconnt of the front and middle partitions 
heing removahle, it is not as easy to elean as nests with re- 
movahle hottoms. 

The old method of huilding the nest l)oxes from floor to ceil- 
ing is a had practice, tlie top nests are hard to get at as you 
cannot see in ttiem unless you climh up on something and the 
nests down near the floor are also hard to get into and squahs 
will leave the nests near the floor hefore they should, which 
will make them poor and stimt their growth. 

When I was a hoy and lived in the country we had common 
pigeons and my father constructed long rows of outside nest 
hoxes on top of a shed luider the eaves of our harn; in front of 
each row of nests he nailed a four-inch running hoard the full 
length of the harn. Our pigeons took to these hoxes readily hut 
home old cocks took to them too well and claimed more nests 
than they needed. As a preventative to this we hoys nailed some 
short ui)right hoards, fencing off, so to speak, the nests into 
pairs allowing a short running hoard two feet long in front of 
each two nests. This plan worked like a charm and is where I 
got my first idea of the double nest plan, and from this I have 
developed the Eggleston Douhlo Nest System. I find that the 
(piestion of properly housing and providing practical and con- 
venient equipment goes a long way towards the success of a 
squab plant and that too little attention is given these import- 
ant matters by the average squab breeder. 

The aisle-in-front plan with the overhead chute, the double 
nest system with nests on the side walls only, the proper feeding, 
watering and bathing arrangements coupled with the other 
modern and practical equipment I have worked out and perfect- 
ed, such as the Eggleston grit box, tobacco stem holder and a 
collapsible mating coop attached to the wall in the aisle that 
folds up out of the way when not in use, will save more than 
half the time in caring for the birds and will produce much 
better residts. The best of all it costs less money to construct 
and looks better when completed than any other plant that I 
have ever seen. 



200 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

SPEED AND ECONOMY VS. OLD FASHIONED METHODS 

The Eggleston improved methods will save much time and 
lumber. An inexperienced person can, by following these articles 
on construction, produce a more desirable and better looking 
job in less time than an experienced workman can build along 
old fashioned ideas. A carpenter or anyone handy with tools 
can do much better by these methods than by his regular way 
of doing such things. 

These methods apply to construction on a large or small scale, 
whether for permanent or temporary purposes and although 
they may seem complicated owing to the detailed description, 
still a practical demonstration will prove that they are short 
cut, simple easy ways of producing the best results. 

By following these plans, one will not only save in time, labor 
and nuaterial in building, but will also realize the saving of 
much time and labor every day thereafter to say nothing of the 
many conveniences and the better results obtained. 

Adopt these plans in their entirety and you will obtain one- 
Inuidred p( r cent results with the least amount of expense and 
effort. 



THE KIND OF A SQUAB HOUSE TO BUILD 

Before constructing a squab house or rearranging a building 
lor squab raising purposes, one should familiarize himself with 
the subject of squab raising and give some thought to the needs 
of pigeons and how a squab house should be built and arranged 
so as to be able to make it practical and efficient, or follow the 
plans of those who know how squab houses should be built, 
which is really the best way. 

The majority of people who start into the squab business or 
who increase their squab plant will, in the course of a year or two, 
make several changes in the plan of construction. This is due 
to lack of knowledge as to what is the best plan. It is true 
that temporary arrangements can not always be made accord- 
ing to plans and often a temporary squab house is so gradu- 
ally worked into a permanent one that it is hard to follow 
any definite lines in the way of construction, nesting arrange- 
ments, etc, But if the person in charge of the construction 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



201 



of even a temporary place for pigeons has a knowledge of 
pigeons and their needs and is familiar with the best plans 
for squab houses and equipment, they will start their tem- 
porary arrangements along certain lines and then as they de- 
velop and extend, they will grow into a fairly well arranged 
squab house. 

Considerable stress should be laid upon the plans and equip- 
ment of a squab house, even a small or temporary one, for the 
accommodation of birds in the way of the room they occupy, 
fly pen arrangement, and their nests, has considerable to do 
with the way they start to work, their health and general con- 
ditions and the number of squabs they will raise. 




ONE-UNIT SQUAB HOUSE WITH GARAGE IN THE REAR 



The average beginner and often experienced breeders are too 
apt to pass lightly over this and conclude that anything will do 
temporarily and that eventually they will make the necessary 
changes and arrangements. It costs no more and generally less 
to make the proper arrangements to start with, even though old 
lumber is used and an old building is utilized. To do it right 
takes less time, less material and makes a much more convenient 
place. These facts are multiplied when considering the differ- 
ence between a newly constructed squab house along proper 
lines and an improperly constructed one. 

In visiting squab plants, I have noticed that, as a rule, more 
lumber and material has been used and more work put in than 
is necessary to construct and equip a house that would be more 
satisfactory, less expensive and more pleasing to the eye. Why? 



202 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



Because the builder undoubtedly did not give sufficient thought 
and study to his proposition and perhaps treated the subject too 
lightly. Right here I might add that it is natural for people to 
have different ideas regarding such matters and also for each 
person to think the plan or idea he has worked out is possibly 
a little better and superior to the other fellow's, for the reason 
that he knows why, as a rule, he favors such plans, and is more 
familiar with same than he is with the why-fors and the plans 




<iia/l/r/fr(f aoj^ar'' 



^— ■B4rj/ TKo^^^- 



GROUND FLOOR PLAN FOR FOUR-UNIT SQUAB HOUSE 
Note the aisle-in-front construction with door leading into nest 
rooms and fly pens opposite each other. 



of others. The average squab raiser will disagree with you on 
the construction of a squab house, nest boxes, etc., because his 
is different. 

There is so much difference in the plan of construction and 
equipment that there will be arguments by each user against 
all other plans except his own. There is undoubtedly a best 
plan and a best method of construction, and the best way to 
arrive at this is to find the various different things that are 
used by the majority of squab breeders and the things that will 
meet approval of these people, even though they might not 
be generally in use. 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



203 



At the present time the writer has on his plant newly con- 
structed buildings, built according to specially laid plans that 
have been worked out after years of practical experience and 
much thought on this subject, and without a single exception 
squab breeders of local and national reputation who have visited 
this plant, have approved of every detail of this construction. 
Some, however, have at first offered objections to certain ideas, 
because they us(m1 different plans, but when these things have 
been explained to them and proved by test and demonstration 



FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR END OF SQUAB HOUSE 



to be correct, they have been quick to agree and approve of 
same. As an illustration: Recently a man visited the plant who 
has several thousand squab breeders, but has been using the 
single nesting system. In going out to the plant he stated that 
he did not believe the double nest system would keep birds from 
building back in the same nests with their young and that two 
pairs would frequently be found to occupy one double nest. 
That is to say one pair would build in one nest and another pair 
in the connecting nest. He also stated that by building the nest 
up off the floor 20 inches, and having the nest on two side 
walls, with a light going into the nest room from the front and 



204 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

the rear, would not tend to keep birds from building on the floor. 
These were the three things that he was doubtful about. 

After going through the entire plant, nest room after nest 
room, and not finding a case where birds had laid back with 
their young, and only one case where two pairs had occupied 
the same double nest, and but a very few birds nesting on the 
floor, he remarked that he had learned more about construction 
of squab houses and nest boxes in an hour's time in examining 
this plant than he had during all the rest of his experience in 
the business, which covered several years' time. 

Mr. Frank Lee Miles, president of the International Carneau 
Club, recently went through this same plant and volunteered 
to write me a letter expressing his approval of same. 

Pigeons are not chickens. They require a different kind of 
a building and different arrangements, and if a person is not 
familiar with pigeons and squab raising, he should not conclude 
that a house constructed along the lines of a chicken house is 
what he wants, but should read up on the subject and familiar- 
ize himself before going to the trouble and expense of construct- 
ing a house that is not going to be practical. The average car- 
penter has no idea as to what is needed in the way of the 
construction of a squab house and even if you tell him what is 
wanted, he cannot build it economically for the reason that he 
is accustomed to constructing buildings along entirely different 
lines. He will use more material and lumber than is needed, 
take up more time, and the construction will be heavy, cumber- 
some and very impractical. As an example: If you show the 
average carpenter a picture of the nest boxes and tell him to 
construct same along that line, he will put up a row of shelves, 
running his boards horizontally, and then divide them off by 
short boards nailed in for partitions. He will then saw up his 
removable nest bottoms and slide them iii on top of these 
shelves, making a double nest bottom, consuming unnecessary 
lumber and making almost an impossible place to clean; where, 
as a matter of fact, the long boards should be run up and down 
with cleats every 11 inches on each to slide in the removable 
nest bottoms, which plan is much easier to construct and re- 
quires less lumber and is what you want after you get it finished. 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



205 



rlOW TO BUILD A ONE OR MANY UNIT SQUAB HOUSE 

One can build the house as a carpenter would by first putting 
ip the frame work and then nailing on the siding or you can 




FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR FRONT OF SQUAB HOUSE 
The above is for single unit construction. Where there are two or 
lore units the construction is practically the same with the exception 
tiat the top and bottom runners extend to the middle of the last per- 
endicular 2x4 instead of beyond as shown in above figure, or the top 
nd bottom pieces can extend right along the full length of the front. 

(lake each side and ends on a pair of trussels and then set 
hese sections in place and nail them together. 

The best, quickest, simplest and cheapest way to build a squab 
lousc of either one or many units is to completely make the 
'nds and all inner partitions, which are the same size as the ends 



20G AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

if the house is l)uilt on the Egglestoii pUin, hefore setting them 
up in place. 

A single unit house shouhl l)e cSxl4 feet \\hich allows for an 
8x10 foot nest room and a 4x8 foot aisle. The aisle should be 
in front; that is between the nest room and the fly pen. A 
double unit house should be 16x14 feet which allows for two 
8x10 foot nest rooms and a 4 foot aisle. A three unit house 
24x14. A four unit house 32x14 and so on, adding 8 feet for each 
additional unit. 

If one lias the room it is nuich better to build a double unit 
rather than a single unit house to start with as the expense 
would be but little more and the house would be a better pro- 
portioned building. 

FIRST--Build the floor the size your house is to be, 14x16 for 
a double unit house for instance. To make the floor first make 
a frame out of 2x4 lumber, take two 2x4's 14 feet long and 8 
pieces 15 feet and 8 inches long. Place the 8 pieces 2 feet apart 
and nail the two 14 feet pieces across the ends of same. Then 
cover this framework with flooring. Floors for additional imits 
will be the same. 

SECOND— Build the two ends as follows: Make a frame 6 
feet high at back, 7 feet high in front, 14 feet across the bottom 
and 8 feet from the center of the gable to the ground. Make 
the gable directly over the point where the partition will stand 
between the aisle and the nest room. That is 4 feet back from 
the front of the house nail in a 2x4 from the center of the gable 
to the floor and provide for a door entering the aisle in one of 
Uie ends, depending upon the end the door will be most con- 
venient for you to use. 

Then nail in two 2x4 scantling horizontally between the up- 
right 2x4 at the rear and the upright 2x4 running down from 
the center of the gable. The upper piece should be just under 
the roof at the rear and the lower piece should be 45 inches 
below the same. This will provide a space for a row of double 
nests (see article on how to build double nests) and a frame 
on which to nail the siding, provided the siding is put on up 
and down. 

THIRD — Make a frame the same size and manner as the end 
frames for a partition between the squab rooms. Then set the 
two ends and the partition up on the floor 8 feet apart, that is 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



20"; 



have the two ends on the outer edge of the floor and the parti- 
tion through the center of the house. Spike the ends and par- 
tition frames to the floor, run 2x4's from end to end at the front 
and hack top corners and another 2x4 along the gahle from end 
to end as a ridge pole. Nail in additional rafters 2 feet apart 




FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR REAR OF SQUAB HOUSE 
The above is for single unit construction. When more than one unit 
is desired, the construction is the same except the top and bottom 
pieces extend only to the center of the last perpendicular pieces instead 
of two inches high as shown in figure. This will allow nailing space 
for continuation of the top and bottom pieces. 



and put on the roof which can either he shingle or roofing paper. 
FOURTH— Run two additional upright pieces two feet apart 
in front on each side of where the door leads from aisle to fly 
pen; after which you are ready to nail on the siding. The sid- 
ing can be put on up and down or horizontally. Tongue and 
groove flooring running up and down makes a good material 



208 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTUHE 

for this purpose, or drop or lap siding can be used. If the boards 
are run up and down, no extra pieces are necessary for the frame 
work, as there will be plenty to nail to. 

There should be a door leading into each fly pen opposite the 
door in the nest room. Also a window at the back of the house 
in each nest room near the roof. By having the window high 
in this manner, it will furnish plenty of light and air and at 
the same time no direct draft will blow on the nests. On the 
outside of the window should be nailed one-inch mesh chicken 
wire to keep the birds in when the window is open and also to 
keep the sparrows out. Heavier wire can be used if there is 
danger of some one crawling through the window and stealing 
the birds. 

If you are building a squab house with more than two nest 
rooms you will need two ends only but an extra partition for 
each additional room. If you desire to enlarge the house at a 
later date you can take out one end, put a partition in its stead 
and set it up at the end of the new section, or you can build 
entirely new sections and join them on the old sections. 

The front aisle partition between the nest room and the aisle 
should be made of 2 inch mesh chicken wire with a wire door 
2 feet wide in the center of each nest room aisle partition with 
a slatted section 18 inches high and 3 feet wide on either side 
of the. door at the bottom of the partition for pigeons to feed 
through, this slatted section will naturally not be full 3 feet 
wide on account of the space taken up by the 2x4 upright, the 
slats should be 18 inches long and one and one-half inches 
wide, not over one-half inch thick and placed one and one-half 
inches apart. Ordinarily lath will do if lattice or other material 
cannot be secured. 

The wire on the aisle partition should be put on in two strips 
6 feet and 2 feet wide respectively and long enough to go to 
full combined width of the nest rooms. To nail the wire on 
stretch it the full length of the aisle, across the door opening 
and all. Set in the door frames and nail the wire on the 2x4 
uprights that form the door casings and to the door frames, then 
cut the wires between the door frame and the door casing, 
hang the door with hinges so it will swing out into the aisle, 
nail a strip on the door casing for a stop to keep the door from 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAS HOUSES 



209 









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210 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

swinging into the nest room, attach a screen door coil spring to 
the door and the casing to pull and hold the door shut. 

I neglected to state that there must be a 2x4 two feet long 
nailed in at the top of each door to complete the door frame 
and a 2x4 about 2 feet 6 inches long nailed horizontally 17 inches 
above the floor to nail the slats on to. There should also be 
a one inch thick strip nailed on the floor on either side of the 
door for the same purpose. 

SQUAB HOUSES FOR SMALL PLANTS 

A squab house for a small plant can be arranged at a small 
expense and a small temporary place will produce fairly good 
results. I recommend the double nest system, however, even 
if there are only two pairs to he provided for. A corner in a barn 
loft, chicken house, garage, or most any outbuilding can be 
partitioned off with wood or wire and converted into a nest room 
with little expense. It is advisable, however, to have the birds 
where they will get some light, fresh air and not too hot in sum- 
mer. 

Pigeons can stana considerable heat or cold, but they do not 
work near as fast in close warm rooms, and if their place is 
too open or cold, eggs are apt to freeze, especially in a climate 
where they have zero weather. Artificial heat is not necessary 
and, in fact, it is a disadvantage. 

Pigeons will generate enough heat from their bodies to keep 
their eggs and young warm, provided their nests are not ex- 
posed too much to the weather. A few birds can be kept nicely 
and will do fairly well without a fly pen, if they are confined 
in a building where they have plenty of light and air. 

The same general plan should be followed with a small or 
temporary house as with a large one. (See articles "Squab 
Houses for Large Plants" and "How to Build a One or Many 
Unit Squab House.'') 

SQUAB HOUSES FOR LARGE PLANTS 

The nest rooms and fly pens for a large plant should be built 
on the same plan and according to the dimensions as is described 
in the article on "How to Build a Squab House," except the num- 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



211 







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212 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

ber of units that are to be in each house should be taken into 
consideration and planned at the start according to the ground 
space available, size of plant desired and other surroundings. 
A squab house with more than twelve units is inconvenient, as 
it places the center units too far from the points of entrance and 
the exits. With a twelve unit house it should be divided with 
six units on each side, leaving a space in the center between the 
two divisions of at least four feet for a passageway between. 

A good plan is to divide a twelve-section house by leaving a 
space of about 6 or 8 feet between them. Put a roof over same 
and board up the front and back, thereby making a little room 
at this point. A door should then be placed in the front and 
back of this little room to afford a passageway and making it 
unnecessary to go clear around the house in order to get from 
the front to the back of it or vice versa. 

Any number of houses with several sections of 12 units each, 
can be built one in front of the other, leaving a space of about 
20 feet between each row of houses, which will provide 12 feet 
for a fly pen, one foot for a drinking trough, and leave enough 
room to drive a wagon through between the front of the fly pen 
and the next house if desired. However, if ground is not avail- 
able or scarce, the houses can be placed 16 feet apart, which 
will leave ample room for a passageway between the fly pen 
and house in front of same. 

Each of these rows of houses should be divided into sections 
of six nest rooms each, with a space between as mentioned 
above, and it is best to make these spaces 6 or 8 feet wide and 
close them in as rooms. Any number of such little rooms will 
be very useful for feed, nesting material, picking rooms and 
various other purposes. 

A ten unit nest room divided into sections, 5 on each side, 
with a space between, makes a very practical squab house, and 
5 of these 10 unit buildings would take up a space of 90x170 feet, 
which would accommodate 2,000 pairs of birds. 

PREPARING GROUND FOR SQUAB PLANT 

A location should be selected that will be convenient to water, 
where feed can be hauled to the plant in a wagon, and while 
it is not advisable to build too close to vour residence, yet the 




CONSTRUCTION OP 






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214 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



squab house should not l)e too far away on account of thieves 
or meddlesome boys. 

The size of the plant, whether you live in town or the country, 
and the location of other buildings should govern to a large 
extent the location of your plant. 

You should select fairly level ground, if convenient, a space 
that will enable you to face your building to the south. An 
east or a north front is better than a west front, on account of 
the afternoon sun shining directly against the front of the 
building. 

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CROSS SECTION OF SQUAB HOUSE 
Perspective view of aisle showing overhead chute and matin?," coops 



will nni off and away from the squal) house and fly pen. If 
you can secure a load or two of gravel, it is a good plan to cover 
the ground for some distance around the plant with it. This 
will assist in draining the water off and in keeping the ground 
from getting muddy in bad weather. Cinders will answer al- 
most as well, but gravel should be used in the fly pens, as cind- 
ers cut the birds' feet and do not furnish any grit for them to 
eat like gravel will. Cinders make a good thing to put under 
the squab house to keep the rats from digging under. 

The ideal conditions are to have the ground around the house 
and fly pen sown with grass seed, the fly pen covered with 
gravel, and the ground under the house filled up with cinders 
and gravel or cement walks leading to and around the plant. 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUaS HOUSES 2l5 

HOW TO BUILD A SQUAB HOUSE 

There are many things to he taken into consideration when 
huilding a squah house, viz.: economy in cost of construction, 
economy in time, both as regaids to the time saved in the con- 
struction and time saved in caring for the birds after the house 
is built. The welfare of the birds and the kind of a house that 
will produce the best results must also be considered. The 
house must be built so as to be warm in winter and cool in 
summer, and should look nice outside and in. This may not 
seem necessary, but a squab house can be made attractive as 
easily as not. It costs no more and generally less to construct 
something pleasing to the eye, so why not bear this in mind 
when building? If one builds along the lines described in the 
following paragraphs, the house will add to the beauty of the 
general landscape rather than detract from it. 

AISLE-IN-FRONT PLAN 

By having an aisle between the nest room and fly pen, a squab 
plant is almost doubled in efficiency, and this is especially true 
with reference to convenience and time saved in feeding, water- 
ing, cleaning and caring for the birds. 

If you are not familiar with aisle-in-front plan, you cannot 
fully appreciate its advantages until you can, by actual test, 
try out and compare the front aisle plan as against houses 
constructed on other plans. 

With the aisle in front, the birds will not fly out every time 
one enters the building. You pass between the birds and fly 
pen; they would have to fly by you to get out, so do not do so, 
and soon they get accustomed to people passing along the aisle 
and become very tame and gentle. 

With the aisle in front the birds will mate, build their nests 
or feed their young while you stand in the aisle and watch 
them through the wire partition. This enables you to keep a 
perfect check on your birds and catch and band mated pairs 
with little trouble. This is especially true if your nests are on 
the side walls of the nest room and built on the Eggleston double 
nest plan. 

With the aisle in front, one man can feed and care for more 
than three times as many birds than he could without the aisle. 



216 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



With this construction it is not necessary to enter the nest room 
to feed. The feed boxes are in the aisles. This advantage alone 
is worth consideration. 

The wire door between the aisle and nest room should be 
opposite the door leading to the fly pen, and vice versa. With 
the aisle in front the mating coops can be placed in the aisle, 
which will make them handy to the nest room. Sacks or bins 
of feed, grit and other supplies can be kept in the aisle 
conveniently. This is a special advantage with a small plant, 
as it saves building a feed house. 




PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF FRONT AISLE 
Note the overhead chutes and feed boxes in place. 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



217 



With these and other advantages, and the fact that a house 
built with less work and cheaper than one with the aisle in the 
rear, make the advantages all in favor of this method of con- 
struction. In California and Southern States, the front wall 
should also he made of wire, which will make an open 
front house. 

Even if you already have your house constructed, it will pay 
you to remodel it and run an aisle along between the nest room 
and the fly pen with a wire partition between the aisle and the 
nest rooms. 




WIRE PARTITION SHOWING OPENINGS TO EXIT CHUTES 
PYont partition between nest room and aisle showing openings lead- 
ing- to exit chutes. Note feed boxes are in place on each side of door. 



HOW TO CONSTRUCT OVERHEAD EXIT LEADING 
FROM NEST ROOM TO FLY PEN 

This passageway should be one foot wide and at least 8 inches 
high. The sides should be made of slats or wire, so birds will 
not build in it, and the bottom should be made of a 1x12 board 
and be removable, so as to be taken down and cleaned. The 
sides of the exit chute can extend clear up to the roof of the 
house. (See exit drawing.) If the top of the fly pen does not 
extend up to the top of the outlet, the wire can slant up a foot 
or so near the building. (See "Fly Pen" drawing.) The bottom 



218 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



of the chute should be at h^ast 6 feet from the floor of the aisle, 
to permit a tall person to walk under same. Six feet 2 inches 
is a better height. 

To make the bottom removable, nail a small cleat across the 
under side of the 1x12 bottom, 11/2 inches from each end of same, 
making this bottom board about 2 inches longer than the aisle 
is wide, so that an inch will extend into the hole leading to nest 
room, and another inch extending into the hole leading to the 
fly pens. The cleats will prevent the board from slipping or 
falling down and the board can be taken down, cleaned and 
put back up easily. There should be two of these exits for each 
nest room, one leading from each side. 




EXIT CHUTES SHOWING REMOVABLE BOTTOM 





FLOOR OF EXIT CHUTE 
This floor is made removable for the purpose of cleaning 



HOW TO BUILD A FLY PEN 

The best and most practical size for a fly pen is 6 feet and 4 
inches high, 12 feet long and as wide as the loft room it is to 
be used in connection with. Eight feet is the width of loft I 
advise, but a foot or two wider than that is all right, especially 
when the house is already built. Any space more than 10 feet 
for the width of fly pen or nest room is unnecessary and a dis- 
advantage. Such extra space can be utilized for unmated birds, 
youngsters, feed bin^, grit and nesting material, 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



219 



If the builder of fly pens will follow these instructions care- 
fully, and read them as he builds (as is advised when building 
squab house and nest boxes), he will find the instructions sim- 
ple and easy to construct. 

First make up as many frames out of 2x4 or 2x3-inch lumber, 
6 feet 4 inches wide and 12 feet long, as there are to be ends and 




SIDE OF EXIT CHUTE 
Exit chutes can be made with wire sides but slats are preferable. 



partitions in the fly pen being built. That is to say, for a single 
fly pen make up 2 ends. For a double unit pen, 2 ends and 1 
partition. For a 6-unit fly pen, 2 ends and 5 partitions. 

What is meant by end is the length that extends out from the 
building. These ends should be made and braced across the 
corners and covered with chicken wire before they are set up 
in place. Ends and partitions are made the same way and 
are just alike. 



220 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



If they are made 6 feet 4 inches nigh, they can be covered with 
a 6-foot strip of wire. Shingle nails are better and much easier 
to nail the wire on with than the little wire staples that come 
with the wire. Drive the nails in about half way, hook the wire 
over them, and then bend down. 

After these frames are made, then put the ends and partitions 




FLY PEN AND RUNNING BOARDS EGGLESTON CONSTRUCTION 
You will note from the above drawing that the running- boards are 
so arranged that a pigeon can reach the entrance above the door by 
three short flights. First from the ground to the front running board, 
then to the side rvmning board and on the running board above the door. 
The cut shows the front running board extending through from one 
unit to another. To do this the wire between the units will have to 
be cut but short running boards can be put up in between the widths 
of each unit without cutting the wire. It requires fewer boards when 
extended clear through. 

up in place against the squab house, 8 feet apart, then nail a 
2x4 across the front at top and another across at the bottom the 
length of your fly pen, run a brace from the top center at each 
end to the top corner of the same unit. 

These braces are necessary to keep the wire from bending 
the 2x4 at each end when wire is stretched. This will complete 
the frame work. 



I 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



221 



Then cover the top with 2 strips of chicken wire 6 feet wide 
and the front with one strip 6 feet wide. These strips should 
be run with the building. First nail one edge of the wire to the 
building, then the two ends, then put on second strip and nail 
the outside edge to the front of the frame, then the ends and 
then pull the two inside edges of wire together, and by the use 
of a 6 penny nail, twist the wires together, which is a better 




CORNER AND CENTER POST CONSTRUCTION FOR FLY PEN 



and quicker way than tying together with a piece of wire, as is 
generally done. Where there is more than one unit do not nail 
the top or front strips of wire to the partitions. If the wire is 
put on right by this method, it will be as tight as a drum with 
but little stretching. 

There should be a door or gate leading into each fly pen unit. 
The best place to have these doors is from each nest room or 
the aisle opposite each nest room, but if this is not practical, 
place a wire gate outside near the squab house. 

Always keep in mind when building your squab house that 
you are the one wjio is going to take care of the birds and 
therefore make it as convenient as possible. 



2^2 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE^ 

HOW TO MAKE WIRE DOOR FRAME AND GATE 

An easy and simple yet neat and durable way to make a wire 
door, a wire gate or a window or door sash to be covered with 
cloth, is as follows: 



A 



^_ 






)i 



^ 



FRAME CONSTRUCTION— DOORS, WINDOWS OR FLY PEN GATES 
Frames constructed as above when covered with wire need no ad- 
ditional bracing-. 

Take four 1x2 strips of lumber as long and wide as the door 
or gate is to be, allowing 2 inches off tlie two longer or side 
pieces, which two inclies is made up by the thickness of the two 
shorter or end pieces lapping over same. Nail the two short 



CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSES 



223 



pieces across the ends of the long pieces with edges up or out, 
just as if you were making a box 2 inches deep. This is the 
catch part of tlie operation — most people will lay the strips down 
flat and nail them together that way, whereas the pieces should 
be stood on edge, which will make a smooth even frame. 

To brace a door or gate frame saw off a 1x2 inch piece 2 
inches shorter than the frame is wide over all and nail it through 
the center edges up or out the same as the outer pieces. Then 
stretch the wire over the frame and your job is ready for 
hanging. 



l... 



■'.OT^ 





Detailed Views- PooRs-To-YLY-PEr^s - 

VENTILATED DOORS TO FLY PEN 
The above drawing illustrates the use of canvas or cloth covered 
sash to be put in single squab house doors in place of glass. This will 
furnish air as well as light and can be removed in warm weather. 
Small sash can be used in squab house windows instead of glass. 



1x3 or 1x4 inch lumber can be used instead of 1x2 inch stuff, 
but in either case the edges should be up when the frame is 
laying down. The wire will brace the frame so all that is 
needed is a brace through the center to keep the wire from pull- 
ing the sides in and the same is true where the frame is to be 
covered with cloth. 1x2 inch lumber is heavy enough for most 
any door. 



CHAPTER XVI 
EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 

EGGLESTON DOUBLE NEST SYSTEM 
The fact that leading squah phiiits all over the country arc 

tearing out their old nests and replacing them with the Eggles- 

ton double nests more and more each year, is evidence that this 

nest system is the best. 

The Eggleston nesting system piovidcs c ach i)air of birds with 

a double nest, as is necessary for fast squab producing pigeons. 




EGGLESTON DOUBLE NEST BOXES 

224 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 



225 



Whether you are constructing a new plant or operating an old 
one, you should equip it with the Eggleston double nests. This 
system will pay for itself every year by increased squab 
production, to say nothing of the convenience in cleaning the 
plant. 

Each pair of squab breeding pigeons require two nests as they 
lay and go to setting again before their squabs are large enough 
to leave the nest. By this system there are two nests connected 




fi^Km^mm^^^m 



SECTION OF DOUBLE NESTS IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION 
The top of the nests should be entirely covered with lumber when 
completed. 



with a short running board, or porch, in front of them, with an 
upright board separating the running board in front of the next 
two nests on the same row. By this arrangement a pair of 
pigeons will claim two nests, and fight off other birds that light 
on the running board in front of their nest or try to build in the 
nest next to the one in which they are building. 

There are various methods used for nest boxes — orange boxes, 
egg crates and other similar boxes are often used by stacking 
them on top of each other and nailing a 4-inch strip across the 
front of the boxes, which holds them together and makes a pro- 
tection for the nest and squabs, 



226 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



Some build a rack, or bench, 18 inches high, and then set the 
orange boxes or crates on top of the rack. 

The best method is to build the nest boxes out of lumber and 
conform to the Egglcston double nest system. One-half inch 




2'S3/V- 



SECTION OF EGGLESTON DOUBLE NESTS 

lumber is just as good as inch lumber, is much cheaper and a 
little easier to handle. 

Nine carpenters out of ten will start to build these nests by 
running the longer boards horizontally like store shelves, and 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 



22- 



, then nail in tlie iii)right partition with short hoards. Such 

f methods are wrong. The upright partitions lietween the nests 

should he put up first, and the horizontal ones should he short 

l)oards, which slide in on cleats and form the nest ])ottoms and 

are removahle. 

HOW TO BUILD EGGLESTON DOUBLE NESTS 

The Eggleston douhle nest is not only the hest form of nest 
to use hut one of the most simple to construct if properly done. 
[ Much speed can also he made if the huilder will follow the plan 
here outlined. 



vr ^ 



^_ _<j^ ^ _ '^ , 




ANOTHER VIEW OF EGGLESTON DOUBLE NESTS 



Anyone who can saw off boards and drive nails can huild the 
Eggleston douhle nest quickly and make a neat job. There are 
really hut three separate pieces, viz: the cleated uprights, the 
removahle nest bottoms and the short running boards or porches 
in front of the nest. All three parts are made separately J)efore 
putting them up. If necessary, these parts can be made at odd 
times and even out of odd scraps of lumber. It is hest however 
to order special lumber for the purpose. 

The upright partitions between the nests are 45 inches long, 
one half inch or resawed lumber is just as good or better for 
this purpose. Rough or undressed lumber is also as good as 



228 AMERICAN gQUAS CULTtJRU 

dressed lumber and will cost less if it can be had. Boards 
six inches wide are the easiest to handle. It takes three up- 
right partitions for the first row of double nests and two up- 
right partitions for each additional row of double nests. Each 
alternate upright partition must be 18 inches and 12 inches 
wide respectively. The upright partition must be cleated on 
both sides with five one inch cleats, 11 inches apart with the 
exception of the two partitions on either end which should only 
be cleated on one side. Cleats can be secured from most any 
modern lumber yard where they have an electric saw. They 
can be ripped out of % inch lumber % inch wide which is just 
as good as one inch square. One half of these cleats should be 
18 inches long and the other half 12 inches long to correspond 
with the width of the upright partitions. 

Cleats can be nailed on quickly by nailing two cleats on at 
the same time, that is by nailing clear through a cleat and the 
partition into the cleat opposite on the other side of the parti- 
tion. The best way to do this is to make a pattern rack or device 
to hold the cleats in their proper place which will save measur- 
ing each time and enable one to make partitions exactly of the 
same measurement and much faster than they can be made 
without a pattern rack. Even if one is going to make only 
enough nest partitions for a single nest room it will pay to make 
a pattern rack as such a method will save over one half the time 
required to make even single nests by common every day pro- 
cess. 

How to Make Pattern Rack 

Saw off enougli pieces, two inches thick lumber, 45 inches 
long to make a table 18 inches wide, (naturally the number of 
pieces will depend upon the width of your 2 inch thick lumber). 
Along one side and across both ends of this table, nail a 1x6 
inch piece, edge up, allowing all but 2 inches of this board to 
extend above the surface of the table. Mark off the rack or table 
into four equal parts which will make each space 11 inches 
wide, extending the marks all the way up the back board. Lay 
an inch square cleat loose on the table against each of the ends 
and another inch cleat against these two cleats. Nail the two 
latter cleats to the table, and remove the first two loose cleats 
laid down which were only for quick measure. Then place 



Equipment and loft necessities 229 

three groups of cleats across the table at each of the three 11 
inch marks having the center cleat of each group centered di- 
rectly over the mark. Nail the two outside cleats of each group 
to the table and remove the center loose cleats which were used 
only for quick measure and your rack is complete. The 11 
inch marks must extend straight across the table to and up the 
back board and the cleats must be the same distance apart at 
the back of the table as at the front. See drawing. 




FRAME ON WHICH TO MAKE UPRIGHT NEST PARTITIONS 
The above frame can be made on the top of a bench or table but it 
is preferable to make it out of separate lumber. 

Place five cleats in all five of the inch wide spaces on the 
pattern rack or table, cover them with enough boards ^ inch 
thick or one inch thick and 45 inches long to make a width of 
18 inches. Then directly over the two end and the three center 
loose cleats, lay five other cleats 18 inches long and nail straight 
through these top cleats down through the partition boards into 
the loose cleats underneath. Use nails long enough to go almost 
through the lower cleats. When this is done, the nest partition 
can be lifted out of the pattern rack completed with cleats on 
both sides and will be so constructed that it can be used either 
end up. 



230 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTUREi 



The 12 inch wide upright partitions are made exactly the 
same as the 18 inch wide partitions except cleats 12 inches long 
are used instead of cleats 18 inches long. 

If % inch square cleats are used the form or i)attern tahle 
must he made with y^ inch cleats instead of inch square cleats. 



How to Fasten Up Eggleston Double Nests 

To fasten up the Eggleston Douhle Nests, nail a 2x4 horizon- 
tally, ahout 18 inches from the floor on to a hlank wall against 
which the nests are to be placed. Then 45 inches above the 2x4 
nail another one horizontally, the 4 inch side to the wall in both 
cases. 

It is presumed that one end of the row of nests will start from 
an end wall in which case, nail the first 18 inch wide upright 



^ 




NEST BOTTOM 



nest partition, cleated on one side only against the end wall 
with the back edge between the 2x4's above mentioned. 

Then nail a 12 inch upright nest partition between the 2x4's, 
111/4 inch away from the end — then an 18 inch partition and a 
12 inch alternately, 111/4 inch apart until you get the entire nest 
imit up. 

To fasten these upright partitions in place, nail through the 
end cleat at the bottom of each partition into the lower horizon- 
tal 2x4 and toe-nail tlirough the ujJi)er 2x4 into the top cleats of 
the partitions. 

To determine the exact distance the nest partitions sliould be 
apart, first mark off the spaces 11% inches wide on the top of 
the lower horizontal 2x4 which allows 11 inches for the nest 
bottom, Yo inch for the tliickness of each partition and 1/4 inch 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 231 

leeway to make the nest Ijottonis easilx reiiioval)l('. If the nest 
partitions are made out of incli luml)er and allow an inch 
instead of 1/2 i^i^'h foi" same and if the nest hottoms are 12 inches 
wide allow accordingly. 

Next take a 1x4 the length of the row of the nests you are put- 
ting up and mark it the same as yon have marked the horizon- 
tal 2x4. Nail this 1x4 across the top of the nest partitions allow- 
ing the outer edge of the 1x4 to run along even with the outer 
edge of the 12 inch wide partitions. This will hold each i)arti- 
tioii in its {)lace at the top and the porch or two feet long run- 
ning hoards in front of each doidile nest, will hold each partition 
in its place at the hottom. The row of nests should he covered 
over on top with 1/2 inch or 1 inch lumber. 

The nests put up in this way will seemingly he suspended 
from the wall without anything supporting them at the front, 
but such a support is not necessary. The two horizontal 2x4's 
will hold the nests up easily. 

(See drawing of Section of Eggleston Double Nests on page 225.) 

LIGHT AND AIR FOR SQUAB HOUSES 

Houses should be built so as to furnish plenty of light and 
ventilation. The partitions between the nest room and the aisle 
should be made up of wire, and the partitions between the nest 
rooms should be made of oi)en lattice work. 

A door in front opposite each nest room, and a window in the 
rear under the eave in each nest room will furnish plenty of 
light and gives perfect control of the ventilation at all seasons 
of the year. The windows should be hung so as to open up out 
of the way of the birds. The window opening should be covered 
with one-inch mesh wire. 

Tlie wire door leading into the fly pen should be opposite the 
door leading to the nest room, making it convenient to go from 
nest room to fly pen. This outer wire door should be provided 
with two sections of canvas covered removable frames for winter 
use or stormy weather. These canvas frames keep out the cold 
yet permit circulation of light and air, which is very essential 
in squab raising. 



232 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



COLLAPSIBLE MATING COOPS 

Mating coops are necessary to successful squab raising. I 
have designed a collapsible mating coop that can be hung up 
in the aisle or along any wall. They are large enough for all 
purposes and easy to construct. The nest is located back out 
of the light, which is an advantage, as well as forming a semi- 
double compartment sufficient to keep the male bird from fight- 
ing the female when they are first put together. 

One end and one side of the coop are slatted, while the other 
end and side are solid. This furnishes plenty of light and air 




COLLAPSIBLE MATING COOP 



without draft, an advantage often overlooked in mating coops. 

The nest bottoms, as I make them, are removable, making 
it easy to clean the coops, and the coops are so arranged that 
feed, water and grit can easily be supplied. The coop is hinged 
to the wall in such a manner that it can be collapsed and swung 
against the wall out of the way. 

Each coop is two stories high, thus a number of pairs can 
be mated up at the same time. 

If you have a large plant or a large number of pigeons, mating 
coops are always needed, so it is well to provide them in ad- 
vance, with economy in both material and time. 

If you have a large number of nest rooms in a row or in close 
proximity, a mating room with a number of mating coops can 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 233 

be provided convenient to your nest rooms. As it does not re- 
quire as much space for mating coops as it does for nest boxes, 
a space four feet wide w^ill furnish enough room for a row of 
mating coops on one side of the wall. A room six feet wide is 
sufficient, space to have mating coops on two walls, but if you 
have your squab house constructed on the Eggleston plan, with 
the aisle in front, the aisle furnishes a practical and convenient 
place to put mating coops of the collapsible design, as described 
above. 

If a number of mating coops are made together, a little drink- 
ing trough can be run along in front of any number of coops, 
which will save much time, or a can or cup of any kind can 
be fastened on the outside of each mating coop, and the same 
kind of an arrangement can be provided for feed, grit and oyster 
shell, etc. 

Birds that are shut up for a few days in this way should 
always be provided with grit and oyster shell. A good method 
is to place a can of feed and a can of oyster shell and grit in 
front of two mating coops so that the birds in each coop will 
have access to feed on one side and oyster shell and grit on the 
other. In this way, one can of shell or grit will supply birds 
in two separate mating coops, which will not only save room 
and feeding cans, but time in filling them. 

It is not a good idea to put the feed or grit in where the birds 
can foul it. The best method is to keep this on the outside, but 
it is not a bad plan to cover the bottom of your mating coops 
with coarse sand or fine gravel, or at least throw a handful of 
fine gravel on the floor of each coop. 

No straw, tobacco stems, or nesting material is necessary for 
birds that are just mating. By the time they are mated suf- 
ficiently to be ready to build their nest, they can be taken out 
and put into a regular nesting room, with the other birds. It 
is not a wise idea, however, to put birds back into a pen with 
their old mates, as they are apt to leave their new mates and 
go back to their old ones, unless they have been mated long 
enough to raise a pair of squabs, then they are not liable to 
separate. 



234 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURfi 



HOW TO BUILD A BATH TROUGH 

The construction of a bathing room along the outside of a fly 
pen, as is illustrated by the accompanying picture, is a very 
simple undertaking, yet it is a most convenient and serviceable 
lath arrangement. 

I got this idea from a city farmer who had a similar arrange- 
ment on the outside of his hog pen, which he used for swill. He 




BATHING AND DRINKING TROUGH 
Corner of fly pen, showing bathing and drinking trough with bath 
gate open and ready for bathing. When completed a piece of heavy 
canvas is nailed at the end of the gate in order to keep birds from 
getting out or from one pen to another. 



would first fill his trough up witli sloi) and then open the swing- 
ing gate at the bottom, which would permit the hogs to get 
to tlie trough. After they had finished, the gate would be closed 
jiid the trough cleaned out and in this way kept the trough 
from getting soured with the swill and creating an offensive odor. 
To construct a bath trough it is best to select lumber that is 
free from cracks or knots. Make the trough 10 to 12 inches 
wide, al)out 5 inches deep and as long as the width of your fly 
pons or fly pen units. A continuous trough the full length of a 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 2^5 

number of fly pens can be constructed and in tbis way several 
pens of birds can be watered or given a batli simultaneously 
and witb practically no more labor tban it would take to give 
one pen of birds water and a batb. 

After llie trougb is made block it up in place at tbe bottom 
and aloiig tbe outside front of your fly pen. You can make it 
level by pourirg a little water into tbe trough. 

To keep it from leaking first paint all Ibe kuot boles, joints, 
cracks and corners, l)otb inside and out, witb a beavy coat 
of aspbaltum or warm tar. Wben tbis dries, wbicli will only 
take a few minutes, give tbe trougb anotber coat of aspbaltum 
or tar, tbis time covering tbe entire surface of the trougb. 
Should you then find leaks at any place, repaint it at that point 
with one or two more coats of tar. 

If a continuous trough is desired, two can be joined 
and made water tight by tacking a piece of tin over the joints 
or one-half of two adjoining boards can eacli be sawed out and 
lapped together. 

After the trougb is made and in place, make a gate frame 
three feet wide and as long as the width of each fly pen; then 
nail the wire on to tins frame by using the same wire that is 
in use on the fly pen. You can do this by putting the frame in 
place, tack tbe wire on same and and then cutting the wire on 
the outside of the frame. But before cutting the wire loose at 
the top of the frame, nail a strip across the front of the fly pen 
about three feet from the ground and tack the wire on to same. 
This board will form a piece on which to hinge the gate, or the 
wire can be left uncut at the top and thus will serve as a hinge. 

This frame or gate should swing down inside of the trough 
when shut and when open should raise up against the outer 
top edge of the trough and be fastened there with a couple of 
hooks or old fashioned wooden buttons, as shown in diagram. 
When the gate is open the birds have access to the bathing 
trough and when closed the trough can be swept out and cleaned 
conveniently. 

To prevent the birds from getting out at the end of the trough 
when the gate is open, or from getting from one pen to another, 
tack a three-cornered piece of cloth to the gate and the fly pen 
tbe size of the jjpace when tbe gate is open. This cloth will 
fold up like a bellows when the gate is shut. 



23iJ AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

The cloth must be long enough to reach clear down to the 
bottom of the trough and be fastened on the inside of the 
trough, otherwise birds will crawl under same and go from one 
pen to the other. 

Bathing 

If dirty ])atli water is left where birds can drink it, it is bad 
for them. For that reason it is necessary to empty the bath 
water soon after the birds have bathed in it. This, together 
with the trouble of going into each pen to fill bath pans and 
many other unnecessary steps are saved by the use of the 
Eggleston bathing system. 

Then, too, this method provides a better means for giving the 
birds a bath and has many features of advantage. 

Tlie cut on page 234 will show just how to construct batli 
troughs, which can be used with or without the little drinking 
trough attached. The drinking trough in the nest room is needed 
tor youngsters, on the floor affords a handy place for the females 
to get a quick drink and is especially good at feeding time, when 
the old birds are feeding squabs. The drinking arrangement 
in fly pens is not necessary, but well worth the little trouble 
it takes to construct in connection with bath trough and, there- 
fore, I recommend it. Bathing or drinking troughs can be made 
of wood or galvanized iron. If made of wood they will need 
a couple of coats of hot coal tar or asphaltum to prevent leaking. 

If running water is not available or if water is scarce, a short 
bath trough two or three feet long can be used in front of each 
pen, with a short gate made on the same principle as a long 
trough. In such a case the trough will have to be filled by hand, 
but even so the work will be done on the outside of the pens 
and easy to get at. 

When running water is used, the faucet should be placed above 
the smaller drinking trough, so on other than bath days, a small 
dripping stream can be turned into the drinking trough only. 
On bath days the same faucet will fill the bath trough if the 
outer edge of the drinking trough is made higher than the edge 
next to the bath trough, which construction will also provide 
a daily overflow^ into the bath trough and keep it damp, thus 
preventing probable leaks. 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 237 

Drinking Troughs 

First, make a three-cornered trough out of 2i/4-inch pieces of 
hunber or out of galvanized iron. This trough should be as long 
as the combined width of each unit or nest room of the squab 
house. If made of wood the trough should be given two heavy 
coats of asphaltum to keep it from leaking; tar applied while 
hot will also prevent leaking. In warm climates this trough 
can be run along the outside of the back wall just above the 
level of the floor, with openings cut through with slats across 
for the birds to drink through. 

In colder climates the trough can be run through the inside 
of the nest rooms. In such a case it is best to run it next to the 
back wall, where it will be out of the way when cleaning. A 
removable cover for the inside trough can easily be provided by 
nailing a 1x6 inch board as long as the trough on to two IV2 inch 
thick blocks, so when the cover is on the birds can get at the 
water to drink, but not in the troughs. 

By making these cover boards about 4 feet long, two can l)e 
used in each nest room, which will be easier handled than a 
longer one. 

If the outside trough will be in the sun or where dirt will blow 
in it, a cover should also be provided. In case there is no city 
or running water available, then a barrel or keg can be placed 
at one end of the trough with a faucet set just above the trough, 
and turned on so a small dripping stream only will run. An 
overflow should be provided for at the farther end of the trough, 
so the water will not run over into the nest rooms. If water is 
scarce provision can be made to catch and save the overflow 
to be used for bathing purposes. 

HOW TO SUPPLY DRINKING WATER FOR NEST ROOMS 
IN SOUTHERN OR WARM CLIMATE 

In climates where the winters are not too severe, a small 
"V" shaped trough can be run along the outside of one or a row 
of nest rooms, on a line with the floor of the squab house with 
an opening cut into each nest room. The opening should be 
2 feet long and 6 inches high with slats or lath nailed on run- 
ning up and down an inch and one-half apart. This will allow 



238 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

the pigeons to put their heads througli between the slats and 
reach the water easily. 

Provide a water faucet at one end of the trough so that the 
water will drip into the trough. The trough being "V" shaped 
will make it possible for birds to drink with a very small 
amount of water in the trough. 

Where city or running water is not at hantl, a keg or a barrel 
\\'ith a faucet can be placed at one end of the trough and in this 
way the water will be kept cool and not become foul by stand- 
ing in the nest rooms. It will save time and trouble in filling 
drinking fountains or pans. It is best to run the trough along 
the shady side of the squab house and if necessary to keep out 
tin dust or dirt, a slanting cover hinged on to the house even 
with the top of the openings and allowed to drop down over the 
trough. Tliis cover will also shade the water if the trough is 
on the sunny side. 

FEED BOXES 

If the Eggleston plan of squab house is used, with an aisle 
in front of the nest rooms, the feed boxes should be made to fit 
the spaces on each side of the doors that lead to nest rooms. 
See slatted space for that purpose in nest room drawing. The 
slats, you will notice, are nailed on up and down, and are far 
enough apart to permit the birds to feed through them. 

Feed boxes should be made 5 inches wide, 2^2 inches high 
in front and 6 inches high at back. It is best to make these 
boxes out of one-half inch lumber, the front at least should be 
made out of thin lumber, so the birds can reach the grain easily. 
(See "Aisle Feed Box" drawing.) Two feed boxes should be 
made for each nest room, one for each side of the door; other- 
wise there will not be enough room for the birds to eat all at 
once, and the first ones to the feed box at feeding time will eat 
the choice grain, and those that are crowded away will get the 
leavings. 

If feed boxes are required to be placed in the center of the loft, 
the best method is to make the boxes 6 inches wide, 3 inches 
high and al)out 4 feet long, with a revolving roller above the 
box to keep the birds from perching on tiie box and fouling the 
grain. Tlie roller can be made out of one-inch square strip or 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 



239 



a broom haiullG with a nail driven part the way in each end 
to tit loosely in the notches at top of each end; or a V-shaped 
trough swung over the feed box also makes a good protector for 
the feed. 

HOW TO MAKE FEED BOX 

There are several things that must be considered if a feed 
box is constructed so as to give best results. First: there must 
be enough room for all the pigeons in a pen to eat at the same 
tune, otherwise the stronger and older birds will crowd in and 
i^et llie liiost nnd best feed while the weaker and more timid 




J^OTTOM OF AISLE FEED BOX 



240 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

birds will be shoved back and will have to take what is left. 

Second: The box must be constructed to prevent the birds 
from getting into it or perching on top of it, thus taking up the 
room or fouling the feed. 

Third: Ti^c l)ox must not be so deep nor wide that birds cannot 
starid on the floor and reach ail the feed. The thickness of the 
side pieces which the birds must reach over must not be so great 
tnat the birds cannot bend their necks over same and reach 
down to the grain. A bird's neck is not very long and therefore 
they cannot leach very much feed after reaching over a board 
an inch thick. 

Fourth: The box should be movable so it can be emptied out 
and constructed so as to be easily cleaned. A good plan is to 
dip feed boxes into whitewash made of lime about once .-' ^, ' '^th 
which will keep them dry, clean and pure inside and out. 

There are several kinds of feed boxes in use but I have seen 
none so good and practical as the two that I designed. One to be 
used in connection with my "aisle in front" plan and the other 
to be used inside of the nest room in the absence of the front 
aisle. 

The aisle feed box is made as follows: First make four ends 
6 inches square out of one-half inch thick lumber. Saw off a 
three-inch corner from two of them by cutting from the center 
of one side of the block acvoL-s the corner to the center of tho 
end of the block, and then double the four blocks by nailing 
the two whole blocks to the two blocks with the corners off. 
This doubling up will give you two end blocks six inches square 
and one inch thick except at one comer where the blocks will 
be one-half inch thick. Nail a three inch board two and one- 
half feet long to the ends. This will form the bottom of the 
feed box. The two sawed off corners must be turned toward 
each other and the bottom board nailed to one of the three inch 
wide portions of the ends. Then nail another three inch wide 
board two and one-half feet long to the other three inch wide 
parts of the ends. This will leave a space between these two 
and one-half feet long boards about four and one-half inches 
wide. Over same nail a one-half inch board two feet and seven 
inches long which should fit into the two off-sets of the corners 
across the two ends, and form a slanting bottom at the back 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 241 

of the box. These three pieces will form the bottom and the 
back of the feed box. Then nail a one-half inch thick board two 
feet and six inches long across the front allowing the lower 
edge of the same to extend down even with the bottom edge of 
the bottom board and your box is completed. 

The slanting bottom will cause the grain to roll to the front 
of the box so that the birds can reach it and the front being 
one-half inch thick and only three inches high will enable the 




AISLE FEED BOX IN POSITION 
The slanting bottom in the feed box serves two purposes — to cause 
the feed to slide towards the front within reach of the birds and as an 
opening to furnish light into the lower box when one box is set on 
top of another for double decking purposes. 



242 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

birds to reach the grain in the bottom of the box. An aisle 
feed box can be made with the two ends sawed out of inch thick 
lumber and the slanting portion of the bottom nailed in as 
shown by cut herewith. 

Place one of these feed boxes in the aisle on each side of the 
door of the squab room. 

DOUBLE DECK FEED BOXES 

If you have so many birds in a pen that they cannot all get 
to the two aisle feed boxes at the same time make two more 
for each nest room, the same as described above and set them 
on top of the other tvvo boxes. The square ends will set on the 
end of the other boxes without tipping and the slanting bottom 
in the top box will allow the light to pass through so the birds 
can see to eat the feed in the lower box, Run a one by four 
inch board on the inside of the nest room six inches above the 
floor along in front of, and even with the bottom of the upper 
feed box for the birds to stand on while eating out of the upper 
box. This will double your feeding capacity and give >ou ten 
running feet of feeding space. 

The detailed description of how to make aisle feed Ixoxes makes 
the operation seem difficult but it is a simple undertaking and 
a number of boxes can i)e made in a sliort time. 

HOW TO BUILD FEED HOPPERS 

The author is not a believer of feeding pigeons by the use of 
a feed hopper or self feeders except where the extreme or un- 
usual conditions exist. For instance when a few birds only aio 
kept and the owner or attendant lias not the time to feed his 
birds in the usual way or where it is necessary to feed birds 
enough to last them several days. In either case a feed hopper 
can help solve a bad problem. 

The most practical hopper is one that has several compart 
ments and is so arranged that each kind of feed except peas, 
peanuts and hemp can be kept in separate compartments. In 
this way the pigeons will not be forced to eat more of a certain 
kinds of grain than they want in order to get enough to satisfy 
their hunger. 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 243 

The greatest ol)jection to a feed hopper is the fact that they 
will clog up on account of the hirds eating only certain kinds of 
grain as it comes down causing the uneaten grain to accumu- 
late and clog the hopper. This will not happen if corn for in- 
stance, is put into one compartment, wheat in another, l^afir 




LOFT FEED BOX 
The above feed box is constructed with a swinging cover which will 
prevent birds from getting in the box and soiling the feed. Note the 
space in the bottom of the cover for pouring the grain into the box. 
This makes it unnecessary to remove the cover for feeding purposes. 

corn in another, etc. The next ohjection to a self feeder is the 
detriment of keeping a constant supply hefore the birds which 
is more than is necessary, hence expensive, as hirds will eat 
more than they need. 

A feed hopper or self feeder should be built exactly along the 
same lines as the grit hopper described herein, except larger 
according to the' number of pigeons to feed and the length of 



244 



AMERICAN SQXJAB CULTURE 



time the feed must last them between filling periods. The 
hopper can either be kept in front aisle where the regular feed 
boxes set or in the nest room. If kept in front aisle the top can 
be square, which will provide for more grain. 

HOW TO MAKE GRIT HOPPERS 

Grit, charcoal and oyster shell can be kept in open boxes 
such as a tobacco or a cigar box but pigeons will foul anything 
kept before them with an open top. The best plan therefore 
is to provide a special box for the purpose which will be 




THREE-COMPARTMENT GRIT HOPPER 
A three-compartment hopper is the best arrangement for providmgr 
birds with grit, charcoal and oyster shell. When complete the above 
box has a cover either hinged on or made with cleats on the under 
side of the cover to keep it in place. The latter is preferable. 



EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 245 

economy in the long run. A three compartment hopper is the 
best arrangement for grit, charcoal and oyster shell. 

First: Saw out two pieces for ends and two pieces for parti- 
tions just alike out of one inch thick lumber as per the cut 
shown here with a strip 3 inches wide nailed across the bottom; 
nail a one-half inch strip 3 inches wide across the bottom of the 
front, a 10 inch board 18 inches long across the slanting por- 
tion at the lower part of the back to cause the grit to slide down 
to the front of the hopper so the birds can reach same. Then 
nail a front board on 12 inches wide and 18 inches long, put on 
a slanting cover 12 inches wide and 18 inches long hinged at the 
bottom of the cover so it will let down making it easier to refill 
the hopper without holding the cover up or moving the hopper 
away from the wall where the hopper should stand out of the 
way when in use. The slanting cover will prevent the birds 
from perching on the hopper. (See cut on page 244.) 

THE EGGLESTON NEST MATERIAL RACK 

Nesting material such as tobacco stems, alfalfa, hay, prairie 
liay, straw, etc., sliould be kept within easy reach of the birds 
and the best place to keep it is in the nest room, but unless it 
is protected from the birds, they will foul it by roosting on the 
same, and if it gets trampled down under their feet and gets 
dirty, they will not and should not use it to make nests of. 

The simplest, most convenient and practical and easiest to 
construct rack, is a V-shaped rack. This rack can be placed on 
the floor against any wall, or if the nest room is equipped with 
Eggleston double nest boxes or nest boxes that are up off the 
floor, it is best to place the material rack underneath the row 
of nests, which will prevent the birds from climbing on top of 
same. If this cannot be done, a cover is necessary to keep the 
birds from perching on the nesting material. 

By having the slats run up and down and the crate large at 
tlie top and small at the bottom, material will by its own weight 
feed to the bottom of the crate, where it can be easily reached 
by the birds. The slats should not be over three inches apart, 
which will enable the birds to pull only one stem at a time and 
prevent the mat(M"ial from getting out in quantities where it 
would be strewn over the floor, soiled and wasted. 



246 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

To make the crate, first decide on the length (three feet is a 
good length), then measure the distance from the bottom outside 
edge of your nest boxes to the floor next to the wall, which will 
be tlie length of yonr slats. Nail the slats or lath on to two slats 
or lath three feet io length for the top and bottom pieces, which 
will form the front of your rack. Jhe ends of the rack can be 
made by tacking three-cornered pieces of chicken wire against 
the wall or make a triangle shaped end of lath or slats. 

If the crate is to be placed under a row of nests it should not 
be nailed to the wall, as it could not be easily filled, but should 
be fastened in place by a couple of hooks to the outer edge of 
the nest, or i)y the use of a couple of old-fashioned wooden but- 
tons so the crate can be unliooked, pullel out and filled, shoved 
back into place and refastened quickly. 



Chapter xvii 

MANAGEMENT AND BOOKKEEPING 

METHODS OF MANAGEMENT 

All inaiiagenient and no work is wors(» than all work and no 
management but why not some of each and thus make both 
more effective and a pleasure. 

A mixture of brains with muscle is an essential thing around 
a squal) plant either large or small. The manual labor is not 
so hard but it soon becomes drudgery if done in a way that 
gets little or no results. While work twice as hard is like play 
if it is done along well directed lines and in a way that will 
cause one to become interested. 

The author when a boy would gladly tramp for hours tlirough 
the snow ral)bit hunting or half a night o\ er rocks and hills 
and through thickets and swamps with hoi)cs of catching a 
coon or an opossum, while if dad wanted a rail fence fixed 
up on a cold day or some chores done, that took us until after 
dark, we thought no one on earth liad such liard work to do. 

This is a little off of the subject, l)ut it illustrates the fact that 
one must be interested before work becomes a pleasure and to 
this can ])e added that the best way to become interested is 
to plan out the work in advance by careful thought and study 
and then by accompjishing what was undertaken, on(^'s i)ei'- 
sonal interest will increase as time goes on and especially so 
if the plant has l)een constructed along the most i)ractical lines 
and equipix'd so as to be labor saving, if good (juality of scjuab 
breeding birds have been procured as a foundation stock and 
everything else taken care of along similar lines. 

li costs no more to do things right whetiuM- with a f(^w birds 
in a back >'ard or large squab plants and in the long run it 
costs less, to say nothing of the time saved and increased re- 
sults which repay over and over for extra time and thought 
learning the right way and for proper preparation. 

247 



248 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

It is not enough that one should learn the right way and 
start right, but it is also necessary if the fullest measure of suc- 
cess is to be obtained, to continue to do things in the right way. 
A squab plant, large or small, will not run or manage itself. 
Someone must keep in touch with the conditions and see that 
the birds have the proper food, water, grit, etc., daily and that 
everything is progressing smoothly. 

Then it is also necessary to give some attention to the financial 
end of the business, the best place to purchase feed and other 
necessities, best place to market your squabs, amount paid for 
help if help is employed and if the help is doing good, thorough 
efficient work. 

The proper management has considerable to do with the suc- 
cess of any business and this is especially true with the rais- 
ing of squabs. 

HOW TO DREAM THE MAXIMUM SQUAB YIELD 

Wonderful as pigeons are and the profit that can be made from 
the pigeon business, there is a limit to what a certain number 
of pigeons can do. Like most other business, there are two ways 
to figure pigeon raising: a mathematical calculation, based on 
theory and a calculation based on experience and actual tests. 
I have demonstrated over and over that a pen of good producers 
will more than double itself in number every three months. 
Fifty pairs, for instance, will increase to 100 pairs in three 
months, to 200 pairs in six months, 400 pairs in nine months, 
and to 800 pairs in twelve months, which ought to be good 
enough for any one; but, no doubt, there are many who figure 
like one of my customers, who calculates that he will have 118 
pigeons raised from one pair in a year's time. I quote a recent 
letter from him: 

"Dear Mr. Eggleston: The pair of Carneau pigeons you sent 
me five months ago are certainly some birds. They have 
raised five pairs of squabs and the oldest squabs have mated 
and now have two eggs almost ready to hatch. I figure this 
way, that by the end of a year I ought to have 118 pigeons. By 
the following table, which, no doubt, will be of interest to you, 
I have shown how I am going to have 6,962 birds at the expira- 
tion of two years. At that time I am planning on no other 
business except my pigeons." (See table on next page.) 



MANAGEMENT AND BOOKKEEPING 249 

HOW ONE PAIR OF PIGEONS COULD BREED TO A FLOCK OF 
118 IN ONE TEAR. 

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.Dec. Total 

Pair A. .2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 24 

In May pair B starts 2 2222222 16 

In June pair C goes to work.... 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 14 

In August pair D goes to work 2 2-2 2 2 2 12 

In August pair E starts producing 2 2 2 2 2 10 

In September pair F starts producing 2 2 2 2 8 

In October pair G is 5 months old and will produce 2 2 2 6 

In November pair H is 5 months old and will produce 2 2 4 

In December pair I is 5 months old and will produce 2 2 

October B's first pair is 5 months old and starts. .222 6 
November B's second pair is 5 months old and goes 

to work 2 2 4 

December B's third pair is 5 months old and will produce. . 2 2 
November C's first pair is five months old and goes to. . 2 2 4 
December C's second pair is 5 months old and goes to work 2 2 
December D's first pair is 5 months old and starts pro- 
ducing 2 2 

Original Pair 2 



Grand Total .• 118 

"Now, Mr. Eggleston, do you think that my figures are correct, 
and that I may depend on producing about that number? If 
not, how many pairs more would advise me to buy in order 
that I may have six or seven thousand birds in two years time?" 

BOOKKEEPING 

Like any other business, a record should be kept of the ex- 
penditures and sales. Unless one has a large plant, it is not 
necessary to keep a full detailed set of books, but a record suf- 
ficient to furnish the necessary information as to the cost of run- 
ning and maintaining the plant and the proceeds derived from 
same should be kept. 

This can be done on a small plan by entering in one column 
money spent for house, equipment, breeding stock, feed and 
other expenses, and in another column, the sales and money 
taken in for squabs or breeders. But if one expects to go into 
the business extensively or to know the extent of his profits, 
he should keep a more complete record by keeping account of 
I the cost of each article used and each item of expense, so he can 



250 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

at any time or at th" end of the year, know just what it costs 
him for feed, how much it cost for lahor, general up-keep of the 
plant, etc. 

This will enahle him to manage more successfully the busi- 
ness, and by having such information at hand he can economize 
and manage his business in such a way that greater profits 
can be made than could be with a plant running haphazardly 
and without a knowledge of the expense of the different branches 
of same. 

With a large plant, at least ten per cent of the building and 
equipment should be charged off annually to profit and loss for 
depreciation, and 15 to 20 per cent of the annual cost of breeding 
stock should be charged to profit and loss, as the actual life of 
a breeder is not more than five to eight years. 

One might be losing money right along and not know it, or 
his birds might be bringing him a fairly good return for the 
investment and probably he would think that they were un- 
profitable. Therefore, even if one. has but a few pair, it is ad- 
visable to open up and keep a profit and loss account, which 
will prove more valuable than the tini'^ spent in keeping it. 

CAUSES OF FAILURE 

There are failures in every business. There are people who 
fail at most everytliing they undertake and then there are peo- 
ple who succeed at most everything, yet might fail in some cer- 
tain line of business. 

There are many causes of failure in the scpiab business. As 
a rule, however, they can be traced to two or three reasons, viz.: 
lack of care and attention to business or over-estimating the 
possibilities of the business; under-estimating the knowledge 
and care necessary to success and lack of confidence. 

While squab producing pigeons are very prolific there is a 
limit to their possibilities.' Some people over-estimate the num- 
ber of squabs they can raise and the rapidity with which a 
flock can be increased and then be disappointed because their 
expectations were not realized. 

An investment of $200 or $300 cannot be expected to yield 
several hundred per cent profit, yet the average person entering 
the squab business will calculate on starting with a small num- 



MANAGEMENT AND BOOKKEEPING 251 

ber of pigeons and increasing their flock by saving their young- 
sters and maintaining their flock and otlier expenses by selling 
their squabs. Then, because they cannot perform an impossi- 
bility they become discouraged and abandon their project. Such 
an end should not be classed as a failure. 

A person on the other extreme will, without knowing anything 
about squab raising, start in and expend a large amount of 
money for grounds and buildings much more expensive and 
elaborate than necessary and build along lines that are imprac- 
ticable and then buy a large number of breeders to start into 
a business without first having found a possible market for 
their squa])s and without knowing very much about what can 
be accomplished. Their inexperience in caring for birds and 
lack of attention will cause them to change their minds re- 
garding the possibilities of the business with the result that they 
are willing to abandon the proposition with a great loss. 

Then there is the real failure. This is the man or person who 
enters the business because he has never succeeded in any other 
line but is looking for an oi)portunity to get rich quick or to 
get an easy living the balance of his life without work. As for 
as his enthusiasm lasts he does not fail hut soon he starts to 
neglect his plant by allowing tlie nests and squab rooms to 
become foul and dirty. Th" l)irds have insufficient f(>ed and 
impure water, tlie pens are full of unmated birds and tlie i)res- 
ence of lice and canker, all of which go along with failure. 

Then we have the other extreme in real failure. This i)erson 
overdoes the work and although possessing but a few l)irds 
makes a slave to the squab business. You will find his pens 
and nest rooms immaculately clean. He has a complete record 
of every bird in his plant, every egg that is laid, and after all 
of this he puts in tlie rest of his time watching liis birds instead 
of doing sonietliing else that would bring him in some money. 

Such a man would i)rol)ably make a success of the business 
if he had a large plant and enough birds to justify his time and 
attention, but as a rule his means are limited and before he 
can get his squab business on a basis that will make him a 
living he is at the end of his row financially and is forced to 
give it up. 

Summarizing: A man wiio does not go into the business 
gradually and study it thorouglily as he progr"sses and expands. 



252 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTUUfi 

and who has no other business to devote a part of his time to, 
which will bring him in an income until he can get his squab 
business on a basis sufficiently large to support him, will most 
likely fail. 

Likewise will the person who figures that the squab business 
is a cinch and thinks no effort is required to succeed. Then, 
too, a great deal depends on the quality of the man, his desires 
and willingness to pay the price of success by diligent effort 
mixed with common sense. 

Almost any one can make a success of the squab business if he 
has the desire to the extent of putting forth the necessary effort, 
almost regardless of the conditions that might confront him. 
Considerable depends on the person's mental attitude towards 
the business. There is also the over-confident person who ex- 
pects too much and takes too much for granted. 

The squab business is a success and it is being successfully 
carried on all over the country by people in all walks of life on 
both a large and small scale. The man that goes into the busi- 
ness, therefore, to try it out generally labors under a handicap. 
If beginners would only understand that a good breed of squab- 
producing pigeons will produce squabs in paying quantities if 
given the proper care and attention. Also that there is a de- 
mand for good squabs at paying prices and that the business 
was all right. Then, if anything was wrong the fault could be 
traced to the keeper where it could be remedied and his chance 
for success would be almost certain. 

DO'S AND DONT'S FOR SQUAB BREEDERS 

Don't build the top nests so high that you can't see in the 
top row when standing on the floor. 

Build nest boxes 20 inches or so from the floor. This will 
tend to keep birds from building on the floor. 

Use the double nest box system. Its worth is inestimable. 

Give birds Swiss chard, lettuce or other green food two or 
three times a week in spring and summer. 

Furnish the birds with some straw or hay or both along with 
tobacco stems for nest material. Especially so if the tobacco 
stems are coarse. 

Don't fail io sprinkle dry hydrate of lime (air slacked) on the 



Management anjd bookkeeping 253 

iloor of the squab house weekly. The birds will scatter it with 
their wings and it will keep the entire room dry and sanitary. 

Squab house should be cleaned at least once a month and 
nests after the squabs leave them. 

Carbolineum. lime, tobacco stems and clean lofts are good 
lice preventatives. 

The bottom of the fly pens should be fine gravel, then stir up 
occasionally or, better still, add a little fresh supply weekly. 

Don't try to catch birds with one hand. Use both or a- catch- 
ing net if one can be used to advantage. 

Pigeons should have plenty of fresh water before them ^es- 
pecially at feeding time. 

Keep the scattered grain off the floor, or it will get fouled 
and make the birds sick if they eat it. 

Decide on one breed and then stick to it. There is nothing in 
scattered efforts. 

Don't catch or hold birds by the feet or one wing as they will 
hurt themselves trying to get loose. 

Don't feed on the ground for uneaten grain will sour and spoil. 

Don't allow foul or dirty water to stay in the drinking troughs 
for it will make the birds sick. 

While salt is necessary, don't give pigeons loose salt. Too 
much salt will kill them. Make a salt cat for each pen. 

Don't allow birds to build on or near the floor as the squabs 
will leave the nests too early. As a preventative, follow the 
Eggleston construction plan of nests. 

The wire cover of fly pens should not be over 6 feet and 6 
inches high. If higher you can't catch the birds well. 

The door of the nest room should not be at the opposite end 
from fly pen for with such an arrangement the birds will fly ofl" 
their nests and out of loft when one enters. 

Drinking fountains should be cleaned frequently. A good plan 
is to scald them once a week. 

Don't permit a draft to blow through the squab house, es- 
pecially near the floor. This does not apply to fresh air. 

Don't be afraid of birds inbreeding. Each pair is a separate 
family. Then, too, a little inbreeding will do no harm. 

One breed is enough if it is a good one. Keep the best breed 
and sell the rest if you have more than one kind. 



254 AMERirAN SQUAB CULTURE 

Constantly mating and remating birds unless for a purpose 
is lost energy and slows up production. 

Don't forever be doping your birds up with medicine. Good 
feed, fresh water and the proper loft conditions is the real dope 
they need. 

How would you like to have a quack doctor treat you who 
knew no more about you and your ailments than you do about 
pigeons? 

It is easy to make a well bird sick with medicine. 

Don't cross breeds. A mule is the only successful mongrel 
known and it is not prolific. 

Trying to practice economy by buying inferior birds to breed 
from is really extravagance. 

Don't try to economize by feeding l)ad grain. 

Never save poor, inferior squabs for breeders, as they will 
reduce the quality of your stock. 

Dispose of weak or inferior breeders, especially so if they are 
males, as one always has surplus males. 

Don't try to raise squabs without some care and attention. 
Better go out of the business. 



CHAPTER XVIII 
FANCY PIGEONS 

CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES 

Considering the vast (liftcrenco in the general appearance of 
the different varieties of pigeons, there is perhaps a more 
marked distinction hetween them than with any other animal 
species and yet with all their differences including feather 
growth, color, size, characteristics, etc., they possess the same 
common hahits and general traits. In short, pigeons are pig- 
eons the world over though of many varieties. 

It is said there are over three luuidred kinds of hraeds of 
pigeons, all of which are supposed to come frona the ancient 
Rock pigeon. The Rock pigeon in its wild state has all the 
hahits and characteristics of the domestic pigeon. In fact, with 
the exception that the Rock pigeon is uniform in size and color, 
there is little difference between them and the common barn- 
yard i)igeon. Darwin and other noted men who have studied 
the origin of pigeons, claim that by the method of selection and 
elimination, aided by climate and other conditions, various 
different breeds have been developed from the Rock pigeon. 
This is borne out by wdiat is possible to accomplish now by 
the same process. 

There are five radical or extreme developments in pigeons, 
namely: size, shape, color, feather arrangement and habits. 
Two, three, four and sometimes five of these peculiarities are 
found developed in a single breed of birds. The English Pouter, 
for instance, is large in size, specially marked as to color. His 
feather arrangement includes long feathers on the legs, slender 
body and crop, and its hal)it of filling its crop with air and 
prancing around makes a marked difference in its habits. A 
Tumbler is another example of a breed with all five distinctions 
being greatly developed. They are extremely small in size, 
are bred in solid colors, have a very short, odd shaped head, 
are bred with or without long feathers on the feet and legs, and 
will turn over and over in the air when flying. The Jacobin 

255 



256 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

has its feather arrangement especially developed; so has the 
Fantail. The Runt has been developed into the largest breed 
of pigeons. Archangels, Magpies, Satinettes, etc., for their color; 
Magpies, Pouters, Tumblers, Turbits, etc., for their shape, and 
Tumblers, Pouters and Flying Homers for their peculiar habits. 
The habit of the Homer to return home in an air line when lib- 
erated, almost regardless of direction, distance and time, is 
probably the most peculiar and remarkable of all. 

The most convincing proof that all pigeons were developed 
from a common breed is the fact that the results from crossing 
two or more of these peculiar breeds will produce an offspring 
that will resemble the old Rock bird and a few more crosses 
will produce a common barnyard pigeon. 

RAISING FANCY PIGEONS 

There are some 200 different varieties of fancy pigeons. They 
are usually raised as a fancy or hobby, and their extreme shape, 
color, and actions invariably mark their good qualities, each 
breeder endeavoring to perfect his birds along special lines pe- 
culiar to that particular breed, to a degree that will enable 
him to surpass other breeders of the same variety. To determine 
the winner in such friendly rivalry, competition pigeon shows 
are held where breeders of fancy pigeons enter their best birds 
in competition. The prizes consist of cups, medals, ribbons and 
cash, and are offered by the club or association conducting the 
show. 

Carneaux, Maltese, White Kings and other squab producing 
pigeons are often entered in these shows, either for advertising 
purposes or by fancy breeders, who delight in excelling in these 
particular varieties. 

There are recognized standards for each fancy variety which 
are published and obtainable from different pigeon associations 
throughout the country. A person desiring, therefore, to breed 
fancy pigeons for exhibition purposes, should secure a standard 
of the breed that he desires to breed, so that he will know what 
constitutes a perfect bird; otherwise, his efforts of development 
would not be along the proper lines. 

There are people who breed fancy varieties and keep them 
for sale. Their ads. are generally found in pigeon magazines 
that cater to the fancy end of pigeon raising. 



FANCY PIGEONS 257 

The care of fancy pigeons is abont the same as the care of 
squab producing pigeons, except of course that peculiar varie- 
ties require peculiar and special attention. Birds that are de- 
veloped principally for their smallness of isize require a different 
diet than a bird that is developed chiefly for its large size. Birds 
bred for their flying qualities require special attention to develop 
them along those lines, etc. The loft, fly pen, and nest arrange- 
ments should be about the same as for squab producing birds, 
where a large number are bred, but v^here there are but a few 
pairs it is not materially necessary to use the double nest sys- 
tem, although this is really much easier when two or three birds 
are kept in the same room. 

MATING FANCY PIGEONS 

Mating fancy pigeons is conducted in the same way as squab 
producing birds, except more care and attention should be 
taken in order to bring out certain qualities in the youngsters. 
In fact, the selection of mates in the fancy game is one of the 
chief and inost particular parts of the undertaking. 

It is claimed by some that all fancy, as well as other varieties 
of pigeons, originally came from the old rock wild pigeon. 
Whether they did or not, there is one thing evident and that 
is that all fancy pigeons of different varieties have been devel- 
oped more or less by the aid of man, and if fancy pigeons of 
different varieties are crossed, their offspring will soon resemble 
cs)mmon pigeons, and show more or less blue with black bars 
on their wings, and in a few generations will lose the special 
characteristics of the fancy forefathers. 

DEVELOPING FANCY PIGEONS 

Those who raise pigeons for fancy, as a rule, strive to create 
by special mating and selection, birds of special design, type 
and feather color. This is not done, however, by crossing one 
breed with another, but by developing birds in a certain direc- 
tion according to what is possible to accomplish with certain 
breeds. 

A Fantail pigeon can be developed until, when they carry 
their tail and head in a natural way, their tail feathers will be 



258 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

SO high and so far forward that the tail feathers will extend 
in front of their heads. 

Jacobins have a heavy crest of feathers all over their neck 
and head. They can be developed to such an extent that their 
ruffled feathers will completely blind them. 

Turbits that have short heads and short beaks can be so ex- 
tremely developed that they cannot eat grain from off the ground 
on account of the freakish shape of their head and beaks, and 
the only way they can eat is out of a cup, where they can grab 
at several grains at a time and in this way secure one. 

A Tumbler pigeon turns over in the air when it flies and 
Tumblers can be bred and developed to such an extent that 
they cannot fly. Such birds are called Parlor Tumblers. Every 
time they start to fly they turn over backwards and when they 
get excited they continue to turn one revolution after another. 

A cross between a Fantail and a Turbit or a Fantail and a 
Tumbler or any other two fancy pigeons will produce a mon- 
grel, and if a person crosses and continues to recross different 
breeds, they will in a short time produce a common pigeon 
without any special feather markings or colors, but generally 
blue with black bars. This likewise applies to squab producing 
pigeons. 

Therefore little or nothing can be gained in the way of cross- 
ing breeds and progress only can be made by developing breeds 
already established, which were not created, as most people 
would imagine by crossing breeds, but by taking a single breed 
and developing it through special mating and selection into 
certain directions, with certain results. 

I might add that if you have any curiosity as to what would 
be the offspring of different breeds of pigeons crossed together, 
buy a common pigeon to start with and save yourself the trouble. 



CHAPTER XIX 
PIGEONS THAT HAVE FREE RANGE 

CARE OF COMMON PIGEONS 

The care of common barnyard pigeons is about the same as 
the care of squab raising or fancy pigeons, except they do not 
require quite as much daily attention for the reason that they 
have a greater opportunity to provide for themselves if they 
fly at liberty. They, however, should be furnished suitable 
nesting places to protect them from the weather, their nests 
should be cleaned out and whitewashed at least twice a year; 
salt, charcoal, oyster shell or grit should be furnished, for often 
birds are not able to find these essentials in their daily flights, 
and this is especially true with salt. 

The common variety of pigeons do not produce as many 
squabs as regular squab raisers and their squabs are not nearly 
as large, so they do not bring nearly as much per dozen on the 
market. However, with a little care and attention you can im- 
prove the results obtained from your common birds to such a 
degree that you will be well paid for the trouble. 

If you expect to make very much profit from birds that fly 
out I would advise that you increase the size and squab raising 
ability of your birds, either by keeping a large sized variety of 
birds or by purchasing odd cocks of large varieties and cross 
them with your common birds. You can do this by mating them 
up with your common hens. The average squab breeder in- 
variably has a surplus of odd cocks which can be bought at a 
much less price than mated birds. Homer cocks are all right 
to cross, except that they will fly away when liberated. It is, 
their instinct to try and find their original home. Then, too, 
Homers are not very much larger than the common pigeons 
and do not produce as large a cross as the Carneaux, While 
Kings, Mondaines or other large breeds. Runts are too large 
to cross with common pigeons. 

259 



^60 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

HOW AND WHEN TO FEED AND WATER PIGEONS 
THAT FLY OUT 

Birds that fly out, that is, that are not kept in fly pens, require 
much less feeding than birds that are kept confined. There is 
an opportunity for birds that fly to forage their living along the 
highways, in railroad yards or in public places where stock 
is kept or fed. The average pigeon will go miles to secure food. 
To attain much success, however, with birds that fly loose you 
should feed them a little once a day, otherwise their squabs are 
not apt to receive a sufficient amount of food, and this is es- 
pecially true in the winter time when snow is on the ground. 

A little feed given to them just before sundo^^n is the best 
method because then they will have hunted all day for feed 
while if they are fed in the morning or during the day they 
will not rustle so hard and soon acquire tie habil of sitting 
around waiting for feeding time. Then, too, if they are fed at 
night it has a tendency to bring youngsters or unmated l;)irds 
home at night which will keep them from straying away. 

Pigeons that fly out eat lots of green stuff such as grass, 
weeds, seeds and roots. They also pick up a lot of other ar- 
ticles that you would not credit a pigeon with eating. A good 
plan is to examine the crops of some of your squabs about 
sundown once or twice a week to ascertain if they are filled. 
If so, the food supply should be reduced a little. If not, it should 
be increased, but not to the extent that the birds will depend 
too much upon the feed that you give them. 

While it is not a good idea to feed birds that are conlined to 
a fly pen by throwing the grain on the ground, this method will 
do very nicely for birds that fly out, for the reason that you will 
not feed them more than they will pick up at one time, hence 
there will be no grain left on the ground to get wet and become 
sour. 

A good plan is to provide a smooth gravel spot and then throw 
the grain on this place each time. If chicken;-;, hogs, etc., have 
access to this feeding ground it should be fenced off so that 
nothing but pigeons can get to the feed intended for them. 

Pigeons do not hold their own very well when eating with 
chickens. A simple plan when bothered by chickens or hogs is 
to construct a platform a few feet square, five or six feet from 



PIGEONS THAT HAVE FREE RANGE 261 

the ground, high enough to prevent chickenr, frora living to it 
and then throw the pigeon feed on this platform. They will 
soon Learn their feeding place and the time ot day to expect 
it, also the person that does the feeding. In a short time they 
will become very tame and can be trained to light on your 
shoulder, eat out of your hand, etc. 

Watering Pigeons That Fly Out 

All pigeons drink lots of water, which is a very necessary 
part of their diet. A convenient place should be provided for 
birds that fly out to drink at any time of the day they might 
desire. This will also have a tendency to keep birds from sti-ay- 
ing away and often cause stray birds in the neighborhood to 
establish their permanent residence with you. 

During freezing weather it is advisable to furnish a supply 
of water about twice a day, which should be done about the 
same hour each day. The birds will soon learn the hoiu* that 
they can get a drink and will be on hand at that time. 

HOW TO CONSTRUCT NESTING PLACES FOR 
PIGEONS THAT FLY OUT 

The old-fashioned idea of a box on top of a pole is most gen- 
erally adopted by people who keep barnyard or common pig- 
eons. These outdoor houses are invariably made with little 
protection from the heat or cold. They cannot be cleaned and' 
are not readily accessible. About the only virtue to the martin 
box idea is the fact that cats, weazels and other animals cannot 
easily get to the birds. 

The best arrangement that I know of for birds that fly out is 
to assign them a place in a corner of a loft or some suitable 
building, put in a double nest system and make same arrange- 
ments as you would for birds that are kept in fly pens. Then 
arrange an opening for the birds to pass in and out, high enough 
up and in a way that cats and other animals cannot get into 
the lofts. 

Another good plan is to build one or more rows of double 
nests under the eaves of a barn or out])uilding, using the double 
nest described herein with removable bottoms and short rumdng 



m 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



boards in front of each double nest, except make the upright in 
front of each nest so as to leave a place four inches square 
for them to go in and out of. This can be done by nailing a 
board 16 inches long across the front of the two double nests, 



roT* 



GROUND FLOOR PLAN FOR OUTDOOR PIGl^ON HOUSE 



which will leave a four-inch space open at each end of the 
16-inch board. (See drawings and article on outdoor houses 
for birds that fly at liberty.) If care is taken in putting up the 
nest and they are painted and trimmed to match the barn the 
arrangement can be made attractive and not an eyesore as 



PIGEONS THAT HAVE FREE RANGE 



263 



you might suspect. All the nest boxes should be made with 
removable bottoms so they can be cleaned easily. 
Birds that are worth keeping at all are worth furnishing a 




HOUSE CONSTRUCTION 5 OR BIRDS THAT FLY OUT 
The above house is built in \'ne san7e manner fis Kggleston Double 
Nests are constructed with the exception of the additional front piece 
and with the exception that they are put up in a circuitous manner. 
All boards are reinovable and are easy to clean. 



264! AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

suitable place to build and the difference in squabs produced 
and time saved in their care will more than offset the extra 
trouble to supply a suitable building place for them. 

The greatest objection to allowing birds to fly out is the ac- 
cumulation of extra odd males, and unless you have complete 
control over yoiu* flock and have a perfect check on them the 
males will naturally increase faster than the females. A female 
is more delicate, is more ape to die, is not as long lived as the 
male, is less apt to live to mating age and a female egg is 
less apt to liatch than the male egg, all of which has a tendency 
to increase the number of males and decrease the females. A 
good preventative against too many cocks is to kill the largest 
squabs and save the smaller ones among nest mates. 

When birds are flying out they can be banded and a check 
kept on the mated pairs with very little trouble if the double 
nest system is used, as they will stay on the nest much better 
with this arrangement and can be caught and handled while 
on the nest. Then when old birds are disposed of those that are 
not banded can be sold without disturbing working birds. As 
a rule, the imbanded birds will be more males than females. 

With a little extra work and troul)le a trap-door entrance can 
be made to close up every nest in a row of an outside house with 
one operation. With such an arrangement you can close nests 
at night and in a short time band the birds caught on the nests. 
You will invariably find the female in the nest with small 
young or eggs and the male in the connecting or adjoining nest. 
For the method of banding follow the same plan as you would 
in banding birds that are kept in fly pens. 

The best and most practical sized room is 8 feet wide and 
10 feet long, with double nests on each side of the room, .-md 
these dimensions are the most practical, even if an old house 
or barn of any kind is modeled over into a squab house. I think 
it better to partition off a space 8 feet wide and 10 feet long with 
wire or boards rather than to utilize a larger room. It is often 
necessary to catch birds for bandings and other purposes and 
in a large room it is very hard to catch them, and chasing 
them makes them wild. Birds are much v^ilder and harder 
to handle in a large room, even though you do not try to catch 
them than they are in a smaller place provided the nesting ar- 
rangement is properly arranged on both sides of the wall, and 



PIGEONS THAT HAVE FREE RANGE 265 

there is a place for the birds to fly on top of the nests or to run 
under them. When you are in a room without such an arrange- 
ment, birds will become more or less panicky on account of 
flying against each other in so small a place. 

When birds are kept in an attic or loft in a barn or in a 
poorly arranged space it is better to put in a system of double 
nests, one or more rows high than to allow the birds to build 
around haphazardly in corners and other places. These double 
nests can be bought ready made or easily built. The advantages 
of a double nest is so great in many 'ways that it more than 
pays to put them in even for temporary arrangements. 

Pigeons will do well in almost any kind of a building or house 
or even in a basement if not too damp, cold and dark, provided 
proper nesting arrangement is made and they are given proper 
care. A little fresh air and sunshine is essential but this can be 
furnished in many other ways than by flying pens. An open 
window or door or a small fly pen a few feet square, built outside 
the door or window, will provide ample room for a few pairs. 

OUTDOOR HOUSE FOR PIGEONS THAT FLY AT LIBERTY 

The same principle that applies to constructing nest boxes 
for indoor lofts also applies to the construction of nests for 
outdoor houses. Each pair of birds should have a double nest, 
a short running board connecting same and the construction 
should be so as to make it difficult for birds to claim i.nd mo- 
nopolize more than one double nest. 

The illustration on page 263 shows an octagon-shaped house 
with 32 double nests or 64 nests in all. To build such a house 
one should proceed in the same manner as if he was jroing to 
construct nests to go inside a squab house. That is he should 
make the upright partitions exactly the same, making ui a 
number of partitions 18 inches wide and 45 inches high on both 
sides at top and bottom, and cleats through the center 11 inches 
apart. An equal number of partitions 12 inches wide and 
cleated in the same manner should be alternated with these 18- 
inch partitions the same as nests in the squab house, except they 
can be placed closer together at the back than at the front, 
which will form a circular house of most any size desired. 

The nest bottoms for such a house should be made the same 
as the nest bottom for loft use with the exception that one side 



266 



AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



of each bottom will have to be cut off so as to iillow for the 
angle caused by the backs of the nests being narrower than the 
front, as illustrated by the ground floor drawing here shown. 
There there is a difference in the front of the nest bottom. 
Instead of having a short 4-inch piece nailed to the bottom as 
is shown in the regular Eggleston double nest, the front of the 




BASE OF OUTDOOR PIGEON HOUSE 
With the construction shown above, cats and other animals cannot 
get to pigeons. Nest boxes are placed on the platform. If the door 
is made to open inwards it should not reach to the bottom of the house. 



two nests should be made as shown in the drawing, and nailed 
to the running board that goes in front of each double nest. The 
running board and front piece, as well as the bottom of the 
nest, rest upon the partition cleats, making them removable 
and convenient to clean. See illustration on page 263. 

As a protection to keep the nest front and running board from 
falling out of place, tack them into the cleats with a couple of 



PIGEONS THAT HAVE FREE RANGE 267 

small nails or, better still, drive a couple of small nails clear 
through the porch at either end near the back of same so that 
the points of the nails will rest on the cleats. The points of 
the nails resting on the cleats will give a slight elevation to the 
running boards and serve to cause the water to drain off. This 
will cause the front board to lean forward, which can be reme- 
died by tipping the front board back slightly when you are 
nailing it on to the running board. 

When you get the nest partitions up, the bottoms in and the 
nest fronts and running boards in place, your house is complete 
except the roof. Any kind of a roof will do — roofing paper, 
shingles or tin. Roofing paper is the cheapest, easiest to put on 
and looks Just as well, if painted. 

A house of this description can be made with 12, 16 or any 
number of sides and any number of nests high. 

A good plan is to make the house large enough around to 
allow room in the center for the purpose of getting to the nests 
from the rear of same. This can be done by having a little 
door to let down at the back of each double nest. 

A house built in this manner with 16 sides, 2 feet wide each, 
would be 9 feet 8 inches across from outside to outside. With 
such a house I would suggest that a window be put in the north 
side to furnish light for the center. The north side is not a 
very good place for nests in the winter time, so a window there 
would not take up any valuable space. 

A house of the above description can be placed on the top 
of most any building, but the better plan is to build a 
framework about 5 feet high to set it on. If desired, this frame- 
work can be enclosed and used as n storeroom for feed and 
other purposes. By making the framework considerably smaller 
at the top than at the bottom and thus allowing the nest house 
to cxtf nd out a considerable distance from the lop of the frame- 
work, cats and other animals cannot climb up the framework 
and get to the pigeons. 

A 4-.uTch strip nailed around the bottom of the house extending 
down from the bottom will tend to prevent cats from jumping 
from the framework and catching on to the lower running board. 
This will also add to the looks of the construction. 

While better results can be obtained by keeping squab breed- 
ers from flying in houses and fly pens, there is a good argument 



268 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

in favor of allowing the birds to fly at liberty. The question 
of feed is the most important argument in favor of Iho liberty 
plan, as birds will pick up in the street, roads and along rail- 
road tracks and like places a large percentage of their feed. 
This is not only true of common pigeons but of Homers and 
most other breeds. Some of the larger breeds, however, like 
Carneaux, White Kings, Runts, etc., will not fly very far away 
fi'om home. 

HOW TO KEEP PIGEONS THAT FLY OUT FROM 
LEAVING HOME 

There are several precautions necessary to prevent birds that 
fly at liberty from leaving. Ample and comfortable nesting 
room for the old birds and roosting room for the young ones 
must be provided and such accommodations must be arranged 
so as to prevent much fighting and to make it easy for the 
young or timid birds to protect themselves from the attacks 
of quarrelsome cocks. 

Young birds from eight to twelve weeks old are more apt to 
leave and not return than at any other age. When youngsters 
are old enough to well take care of themselves the parent birds 
will fight them. If there is not a convenient place for them to 
roost they are apt to seek a new home even though they find 
poorer accommodations at their new home than at their old one. 

If there are other pigeons kept in the neighborhood they will 
first start spending the day with yoiu' neighbors' birds returning 
at night to roost, but finally staying away altogether unless you 
take steps to induce them to stay with you. Keeping plenty of 
water accessible for drinking and bathing purposes and feeding 
your birds a little each day just before night will not only help 
to keep birds from leaving home, but will attract stray birds 
in the neighborhood and induce them to establish their perma- 
nent home with you. 

Unless a young cock can secure a nesting place at mating age 
he will leave home and seek a place where he can secure a 
nesting place and a mate. 

Young females are more apt to leave than young males as 
they are easily attracted by your neighbors old males who will 
even visit your home and decoy your young females away. 



1 



PIGEONS THAT HAVE FREE RANGE 269 

Cocks with mates will even temporarily mate up with the young 
females in order to decoy them away and then forsake them 
after they succeed in getting them to leave you. 

If you liave provided your young cocks with places to huild 
they will more than likely mate up with the young females 
hefore they are attracted hy strange males. Often it is a good 
plan to catch the young females when they reach mating age 
and shut them up with odd cocks until they mate up and then 
turn them out. 

ROOSTING PLACES FOR YOUNG PIGEONS THAT 
FLY OUT 

The young hirds that are to he kept for hreeders must he 
provided with a place to roost hy the time the old hirds wean 
them as they will fight them away from the place where they 
were hatched and raised, forcing them to roost out in the weather 
for a while and then prohahly leave home. A roosting place 
must he so arranged tliat hirds cannot use it for a place to huild 
their nests or it will soon he occupied for that purpose and the 
young hirds coming on will he without a roosting place. 

The hest way to provide a suitable roosting place is to nail 
up square blocks for perches along in a row horizontally about 
a foot apart against the side of a wall, then five inches above 
same nail a 1x6 board slanting out and down and just above 
that another row of blocks for perch'^s and five inches over the 
blocks place another 1x6 board until you have provided enough 
roosts to take care of your young birds. 

The object of having the perches small and a foot apart is to 
keep the birds from fighting and thus prevent the more aggres- 
sive ones from fighting away the younger or more weak ones. 
The slanting l)oard above each row of perches will keep the 
birds on the upper rows from fouling those on the row of 
perches under them. 

In a southern climate the roosting perches can be put on the 
outside of a building, up under the eaves of a barn is a good 
place, but in a cold climate it is advisable to put them up on an 
inside wall or to partly box them in so the birds will have pro- 
tection from the cold. It is necessary, however, to place the 



270 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

roosts where the birds are accustomed to staying or they will 
not find the roosts. 

Summing up the art of keeping birds from leaving home 1 
might say in short, provide plenty of room, a place for young 
birds to roost, furnish drinking and bathing water and feed 
ili'?m a little just before night each day. 



CHAPTER XX 
HOW TO SUCCEED 

LEARN YOUR BUSINESS 

To make the greatest success, one must strive to learn all the 
things about pigeons that others know and with this knowledge 
he must add knowledge gained from personal experience. A 
careful study of the business is necessary. One cannot cut 
corners nor expect good results without mixing brains with 
backbone, with a keen desire to master the science of squab 
culture. 

At the same time one must not jump at conclusions. Too 
often opinions are formed too hastily and the unusual thing 
is taken for a basis on which a wrong idea is formed. It takes 
a large number of birds, a period of time and many experiences 
to get an average and be able to know what ordinarily will 
happen under certain conditions. Short tests and quick con- 
clusions are of little or no value. The unusual is liable to 
happen and if that experience is taken as a criterion, the exact 
opposite would probably be nearer right than the conclusion 
reached. It is better to take the other fellow's word for it and 
abide by the advice of those who have had long experience 
than to depend too much on short experiences of your own. 

Like most other things worth while, there is considerable to 
learn about the squab business and all its branches. 

The habits of pigeons and the raising and marketing of 
squabs is in a way foreign to the things that most people are 
accustomed to. Those entering the business and those engaged 
in it, must not conclude that their knowledge regarding other 
affairs will to a large degree equip them with all that is neces- 
sary to know about pigeons and squab raising. 

As an example, a person might be an expert on chickens and 
chicken raising but unless he had made a thorough study of 
pigeons and had some practical experience, his chicken knowl- 
edge would do him more harm than good if he tried to apply 
it to squab raising. 

271 



272 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

START RIGHT 

Do not do things temporarily with an idea that eventually 
you will do them better. It is all right if you know little or 
nothing about pigeons to get a pair or two of most any breed 
and familiarize yourself with their characteristics and habits 
by watching and caring for them for a month or so or during 
the time you are preparing your squab house. But it is the 
height of folly to start in the squab business with inferior birds, 
a makeshift squab house and just any old nest arrangement 
and other equipment to match. 

One cannot build a substantial building on a poor foundation 
nor can a squab business be successfully built up without well 
laid plans, good birds and good conditions from the start. 

CLOSE ATTENTION 

Ignorance, neglect and carelessness are greatly responsible 
for most failures in the squab business. You will never know 
too much about the business. The chances are you will .pay 
too little attention rather than too much attention to your birds 
and the business in general. Most people are careless about 
taking care of one thing or another. You can safely bet that 
you will be no exception to this rule. 

Close attention does not mean that one should be constantly 
bothering his birds nor giving them unnecessary attention and 
thereby wasting time and labor without material benefit. 

Birds must be watered and fed regularly. Unmated birds 
must be kept out of the breeding pens. Sick birds must be re- 
moved and doctored or killed. Underfed squabs, broken eggs, 
foul nests, and dozens of other things must be promptly dis- 
covered and prevented or remedied. 

A hurried, quick, thorough daily inspection is necessary and 
one should know what to look for, how to remedy conditions 
quickly and effectively. 

DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT 

Taking care ol the little things and paying strict attention 
to the details arc very important. My experience has been that 
most squab raisers take too much for granted and do not value 



HOW TO SUCCEED 273 

tiie importance of taking care of all details in a proper and 
systematic way. They fail to study the business and do not 
know the many short cuts and methods that make the work 
easy and insure success. 

Some seem to think that any old way or any old plan for 
today will do and as a result, their work is made hard, their 
results are not good and they soon tire of the business and 
either fail or drag along with little prospect for future im- 
provement. 

MAKE WORK EASY 

When constructing squab houses, fly-pens, nest boxes, feed 
and bath troughs, etc., bear in mind that a little extra time and 
pains taken then will save much time and labor in the future. 
Study and follow the squab house and equipment construction 
described herein. You cannot fully appreciate the difference 
in time and labor saved and the general results secured unless 
you could personally conduct a modern up-to-date plant and a 
makeshift one at the same time. This applies to a .small, one 
unit squab house as well as a large many unit plant. 

By having nests with removable bottoms they are easy to 
clean. Feed troughs in front aisle where they are easily acces- 
sible; bath and drinking troughs properly made so that birds 
can be watered and given baths easily and quickly; nest ma- 
terial racks and grit hoppers made along practical lines; mating 
coops, fly pens and the general house construction conveniently 
arranged, your inspection work in caring for young birds can 
be done ciuickly and easily and it will become a pleasure instead 
of something to be endured. 

LOVE YOUR WORK 

We all like to do the things that we know how to do and can 
do well. We cannot do the things well that we do not like to 
do. So our efforts, accomplishments and the pleasure we get 
out of them, seem to go in a circle. We like to play better than 
we like to work and we like best to play at something we can 
play well. I^ we can make play out of work and can learn to 
do it well, it becomes a great pleasure. On the other hand, if 



274 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 

we make our work a drudgery we will not learn to do it well 
and will never enjoy doing it. 

Learn to love your work if you want to make it easy and to 
do this you must learn much about it and to do it well work 
should be enjoyed rather than endured. All these things can 
be cultivated and all go a long way towards success. 

To be successful we must start right, study the business, not 
jump at conclusions, pay strict attention to details, love our 
work, have a fixed purpose and a full determination to win. 



NDEX 



Page 

Abandoned Eggs 159 

Age to Take From Nest 161 

Aisle Feed Box 241 

Aisle-in-Front Plan 215 

Anyone Can Raise Squabs 16 

Appearance of Squabs 179 

Archangels 256 

Bad Boys Ill 

Banding 102 

Barley 88 

Barren Females 154 

Bath Troughs 98, 234 

Bathing 98, 236 

Beautiful Squab Houses 34 

Birds at Liberty 259 

Bookkeeping 249 

Bowels, Loose 128, 133 

Boxes, Nest 224 

Bread as Food 89 

Buckwheat 79, 88 

Canker 128, 133 

Care of Common Pigeons 259 

Care of Fly Pens 102 

Care of Squabs 154, 161 

Care of Squab Plant 101 

Care of Youngsters 154, 162 

Carneaux, Black 45 

Carneaux, Origin of 35 

Carneaux, Proper Weight ....37 

Carneaux, Slate Colored 39 

Carneaux, Solid Color 50 

Carneaux, Utility 47 

Carneaux, Tellow 40 

Carneaux, "White 41 

Changing Eggs and Squabs ..155 
Characteristics of Pigeons, 21, 255 

Charcoal 93 

Close Attention 272 



Page 

Color Breeding 114, 116 

Colds 122, 127 

Collapsible Mating Coop 232 

Construction of Houses.. 191, 200 

Corn 79, 89 

Cost of Feed 91 

Crosses 71 

Cross Breeds 71 

Demand for Squabs 20 

Details Are Important 272 

Developing Fancy Pigeons. .. .257 

Diarx'hoea 128. 133 

Diseases 121, 127, 132 

Disinfectants 107 

Distinguishing Sex 139 

Do's and Dont's 252 

Double Deck Feed Boxes 242 

Double Nest System 224 

Dressed Squabs 178, 182 

Drinking Troughs 97, 237 

Drinking Water 96, 227 

Dying of Squabs 155, 158 

Educating Customers 188 

Egg Troubles 129, 154, 166 

Eggs, Abandoned 159 

Eggs, Incubation of 156 

Eggs, Infertile 166 

Enemies of Squab Plant 107 

English Pouters 255 

Equal Number of Males and 

Females 148 

Equipment for Plant 224 

Exhibition Birds 167, 172 

Exhibiting Birds 163 

Failure. Cause of 250 

Fancy Pigeons 255 

Fantails 257 



275 



276 



INDEX 



Page 

Feather Coloring 114 

Feather Rot 129 

Feed Analysis 85 

Feed, Composition of 80 

Feed Boxes 238 

Feed, for Pigeons 77, 86 

Feed. High Cost of 91 

Feed Hoppers 242 

Feed Necessary 77 

Feeding Common Pigeons ... .260 

Feeding, How and When 7 4 

Feeding Squabs 130 

Fly Pens 218 

Flying Homers 53, 256 

Fried Squabs 186 

Getting Started Right 19. 25 

Going Light 123 

Good Prices 188 

Gravel 92 

Grit 92 

Grit Hoppers 244 

Growth of Squabs ■ 141 

Habits and Characteristics 21, 255 

Hand Feeding 130 

Hawks Ill 

Hatching 111. 155. 156 

Health Grit .92 

Hemp Seed . .79, 89 

Home Use of Squabs 29 

Homers 54 

Houses for Pigeons at Liberty 265 

Housing , 191 

How to Band , . _ . 102 

How to Build 191, 20.0. 215 

How to Build Fly Pen ........ 218 

How to Build Nests ..-...,... .227 

How to Construct Nesting 

Places 261 

How (o Cook Squabs . . . 186 

How to Exhibit . 168 

How to Improve 149 

How to Kill 180 

How to Market 179 

How to Mate 135 

How to Pick 180 

How to Select Breeders 150 

How to Tell Sex 139 



Page 

How to Start 19, 25 

How to Succeed 271 

Hungarians 60 

Inbreeding 119 

Incubation of Eggs 156 

Indian Corn 86 

Improving Quality 149 

Infertile Eggs ....'.. 166 

Inside of a Squab 145 

Jacobins . . .... 158 

Kafir Corn . 79, 86 

Keeping Birds from Leaving 268 

Killing Squabs 180 

Kings .68 

Large Plants 210 

Learn Your Business .271 

Lentils . . 89 

Lice 107 

Light and Air . 231 

Line Breeding 116 

Location of Plant . 212 

Loft Feed Box . 243 

Loft Necessities 224 

Long Distance Shipping 184 

Loose Bowels 128, 133 

Love Your Work 273 

Lump on Wings .126 

Magpies 256 

Make Work Easy 273 

Maltese. Exhibition . . . 62 

Maltese. Origin of . . . 61 

Management ., 247 

Many Unit House 205 

Marketing 179 

Mating 135 

Mating Coops 232 

Mating Fancy Pigeons 257 

Maximum Squab Yield 2 48 

Mice 110 

Millet 79. 89 

Mites .107 

Modern Squab House, ........ 200 

Mondaines. Crested 67 

Mondaines, Swiss 64 



mDEX 



277 



Page 

Moultingr 113 

Mud Balls 127 

Nest Boxes 227 

Nest Material Rack 2 45 

.Nest Partitions 229 

Nesting- Material 106 

Nesting Places 261 

Oats 88 

Odd Cocks 149 

Old Pigeons 164 

Old Pigeon Pie 188 

One Unit House 105 

Ornamental Squab House 34 

Outdoor Houses 265 

Overhead Chute 217 

Owls Ill 

Oyster Shells 94 

Paraffin, Use of 181 

Parlor Tumblers 258 

Pattern Rack 229 

Peas 79, 87 

Picking Squabs 180 

Pigeon Diseases 121 

Pigeon Feeds 77 

Pigeon Habits 21, 255 

Pigeons for Pleasure 33 

Pigeons for Profit 14 

Pigeons at Liberty 259 

Pigeon Lice 107 

Pigeon Milk 89 

Pigeons with Chickens 30 

Polish Lynx 67 

Pouters 256 

Preparing Squabs for Market 179 
Profit in Squabs 14 

Racing Homers 53, 256 

Rai)C 89 

Rats 110 

Remedies 121, 127, 132 

Rice 88 

Rock Pigeons 156 

Roosting Places 269 

Roup and Colds 122 

Runts, Black 59 

Runts, Blue 57 



Page 

Runts, Grizzle 57 

Runts, History 55 

Runts, Origin 55 

Runts, Red 59 

Runts, Silver 58 

Runts, White 56 

Runts, Yellow 59 

Salt 94 

Sand 92 

Satinettes 256 

Scalloped Squabs 187 

Selection of Breeders 135 

Selection of Youngsters . ; . . . .150 

Serving Squabs 186 

Shipping Live Pigeons 185 

Shipping Squabs 182 

Show Birds 167, 172 

Sick Pigeons 130 

Small Plants 210 

Small Squabs 182 

Soft Shelled Eggs 129, 154 

Sore Eyes 124 

Sore Feet 126 

Sour Craw 128, 134 

Sour Crop 128, 134 

Sparrows Ill 

Squab Breeding Crosses 72 

Squab Industry 13 

Squab Pie 188 

Squab Souffle 187 

Squabs Raised Anywhere 18 

Squabs Dying 155, 158 

Squabs for Home Use 29 

Squabs for Profit 14 

Squabs, Size of. 141 

Squabs. Small 159, 160 

Start Right 272 

Sulphate of Iron 95 

Sunflower Seed 79, 89 

Swiss Mondaines 64 

Thieves Ill 

Telling Males from Females, 139 

Tonics 129, 133 

Transferring Squabs 161 

Tumblers 258 

Turbits 258 



278 



INDEX 



Page 
Utility Breeds 53 

Varieties of Pigeons 255 

Ventilated Doors 223 

Ventilation 231 

Vermin 107, 129 

Vetches 89 

Watering 96, 237 

AVatering Common Pigeons. .. 260 
Watering Pigeons 261 



Page 

Wheat 79, 87 

When to Exhibit 168 

When to Start 19 

Where to Exhibit 168 

White Kings 68 

Why Raise Squabs 13 

Wire Doors 222 

Wire Partitions 213 

Youngsters for Stock 150 



ADVERTISEMENTS 



Amoncan 
Pl5{c>()n Jouni 



Devoted to the Raising of 
Pigeons Jor Utility and Fancy 

FRANK H, HOLLMANN, Editor 




EVERY pigeon man should read some first-class up-to-date 
pigeon magazine. And that paper is the AMERICAN PIG- 
EON JOURNAL. It contains practical discussions by 
America's most successful pigeon breeders on the breeding, feed- 
ing, and marketing of squabs, as well as giving the reports and 
awards of all leading pigeon shows; their experiences, disappoint- 
ments and successes; and profit by the lessons taught. 

Special articles on culling of flock, banding, record keeping, 
scientific feeding, watering and general management of pigeons 
as a hobby as well as a business. If you have any questions to 
ask, remember our Information Bureau is at your service. 

The best all around pigeon publication in America — largest in 
circulation, reading matter and number of illustrations. Each 
number a work of art as well as budget of practical information. 
Published Monthly. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Three years for only 
$2. One year $1. Sample copy 10c. 

OUR GUARANTEE— Send us $1 for a year's subscription (or 
$2 for 3 years), and if after receiving four numbers you are not 
entirely satisfied, advise us, and we'll refund your money. That's 
fair, isn't it? 

Americain Pigeon Journal Company 
Dept, 15 Warreetoiis, Missouri, U. S. A, 



Clark Farm Lofts 

— The Home of — 

One Thousand Exhibition Pigeons 



We were the originators of both the White 
Carneau and the Black Carneau. 

At the First National Show we won Best 
Carneau in the Show with a White Carneau. 

We breed and offer the following: varieties : 
EXHIBITION CARNEAUX IN ALL COLORS 

Red— Yellow— White— Black— Dun 
REGISTERED WHITE SWISS MONDAINES 

LONG FACE CLEAN LEG TUMBLERS 
In All Colors. 

BLUETTES, SILVERETTES, 

BLONDINETTES 

AFRICAN OWLS IN ALL COLORS 



Josiah H. Clark 

702 East 23rd St., Paterson, New Jersey 



Williamson 

Standard Pigeon Houses 
and Equipment 

The WILLIAMSON STANDARD PIGEON HOUSES AND 
EQUIPMENT are the most practical, sanitary and up-to-date 
ever used. You save money by letting us build your houses and 
equipment. 

The houses are built in sections of well seasoned, tong-ued and 
grooved boards on sides and ends, doors and windows already in, 
strong frame and good roofing material. Size 8x14 ft., elevation 
in front, 8 ft. to gable and 6 ft. to rear with 5 ft. alleyway in 
front, between the nesting room and the fly pen where the most 
light enters and the birds have better light to eat out of the feed 
troughs that are in the alleyway than when the passageway is in 
the rear as with old style houses. A wire netting partition with 
door divides the alleyway from the nesting room. Has door in 
front elevation with wire and cloth and windows of same ma- 
terial in the rear, so constructed to give a larger volume of light 
and ventilation without drafts on the birds. A new feature is a 
wire partition running from the edge of the top row of nests to 
the ceiling. 

To erect the house you merely bolt it together with a wrench 
and place the roofing material on we send you; after bolted to- 
gether you can move it anywhere if you wish to. If you add 
more units you only need to unfasten four bolts, remove the end 
and fasten to the next house and so on continuously wiih a row 
of houses. We charge less money for the second house to be at- 
tached. It's advisable to purchase two or more at a time when 
engaged in squab production, four is the most economical way to 
buy. 

Everything in Williamson Equipment is standard, viz: Every 
part is made to the fraction of an inch and is interchangeable. 
You can buy whole equipment or parts the same as you would 
for an automobile. 

Houses and Equipment boxes take low freight rates, packed 
knocked down, securely crated. 

Write us for circulars and prices. 

THE 434 Broad Street 

J.W.WILLIAMSON glassboro, n. j. 

CO. U. S. A. 

Proprietor of the famous RED CROSS HEALTH GRIT 



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